Jokes on Us
by McPenname
Summary: McGee is dreading the next few weeks, as Valentine's Day and April Fool's Day approaches, he knows Tony will be relentless in his teasing. Ziva comes up with a plan to thwart Tony. Will it work or will it backfire on them? McGiva Tim/Ziva COMPLETE
1. Sick & Tired (1)

Not beta'd

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the NCIS or the characters we all know and love (and sometimes hate). No money is made due to this fic, just one of the many stories inside my head.

* * *

"Thanks For giving me a ride, Ziva," Tim said after closing the door and buckling his seat belt, something that was definitely needed when Ziva drove.

"No problem, I pass right by here anyway."

They spent the next few minutes in silence, just listening to the radio. When suddenly Ziva waved her hand and shouted "I do not understand that."

"What?" Tim asked in confusion

"This day."

Tim frowned as he looked at her, "What's wrong with this day?" He asked.

"It is dedicated to a rodent! One that people believe can predict the weather no less."

Tim tried to hide his smile, "It's just a fun tradition."

"Still does not make sense to me," she complained. "Tony said there were even movies made about this day."

Tim laughed before groaning. Tony, he realized in dismay.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Though he really didn't want to deal with Tony. The thought had him groaning again. "Is it too late to call in sick for the next two weeks?"

"You are sick?" Ziva asked in alarm

"No. I'm fine," Tim replied

"Hmm", she hummed doubtfully, scrutinizing her companion.

As Tim sat there thinking about what was to come, he realized it would be more than two weeks before things would be better.

"I'll be fine in a few months," he stated dismissively.

"That is it." Ziva said as she pulled off the highway to change direction.

"Ziva!" He screeched, "Where are you going? I don't want to be late."

"I am taking you to the hospital."

"I'm fine," he argued.

"No you are not. First you groaned and want to call in sick for two weeks, then you say you'll be fine in a few months. That is not fine." She argued.

"I'm not sick," Tim replied. "I don't need the hospital or even a doctor."

"Then what do you need?"

"Just for the next few months of torment to be over."

"I do not understand."

Tim just waved his hand dismissively. It was his problem, he could deal with it. "Just head back towards work. I'll be fine."

"How can I help if I do not know why the problem is?"

Tim smiled, pleased about her willingness to help. "It's okay. I appreciate the thought, but there is nothing you can do."

Ziva pulled off the highway and onto a side street. She then stared at him for a moment. "At least tell me why you would like to avoid work. Did you have a fight with Abby?"

No," he finally admitted, "I just want to avoid Tony."

"You had a fight with Tony?"

"Tony and I don't fight," Tim retorted. "He teases and annoys me and I get frustrated and upset, which causes him to tease and annoy me more."

"Yes, I can see that," Ziva admits, after all, she had been witness to many such interactions between her two partners. "But why is now any different than normal? And being out for two months? That is a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"Nope," Tim disagreed. "This is Tony's favorite time of year, making it my least favorite time," he explained.

"Why?"

"12 days from today is Valentine's Day, meaning we, all of us at the office, and especially me, get to hear all about his plans for that day, as well as the plans he could've had. The entire time he will also be asking me about my plans, knowing that no such things exist."

Ziva frowned, "Surely you could have plans?"

"I probably could," Tim admitted, "but I don't want plans just to have plans, or to get Tony to stop. Valentine's Day should be spent with someone special."

"Then that is what you should tell Tony."

Tim shook his head, "doesn't work that way. He'll say I'm just using that as an excuse since I don't have plans."

"Does it really matter why Tony says?"

A shrug accompanied his words, "Not in the way you mean. It's just a pain to deal with every day for two weeks each year."

Ziva nodded in understanding, Tony could be annoying, especially when he was relentless. "But that is less than two weeks, why are you saying you'll be fine in two months?"

"Because after Valentine's Day, which Tony will drag out for at least another week, boasting about the good time he had, it's April fools Day."

Ziva frowned, "I believe March comes after February."

"It does," he nodded, "but in this case Tony likes to be an overachiever." He said dryly. "Remember last year? His 'joke' started in March. He had me convinced I was losing my hair. I had doctor appointments set up and everything."

"Ah, yes, I remember."

"Tony lives for those two holidays. It's just an added bonus for him that he gets to torture me as well."

"I am sorry," she commiserated

Tim just nodded. "We should probably head in before we are late and add salt to the wound."

"What wound and why would you add salt, wouldn't that hurt?"

Tim smiled, "That's the point. It's an expression, meaning to make things worse."

"Ah, that one I understand," she said, the two of them sharing a smile, as Ziva resumed the drive to the Navy Yard. One good thing could be said about Ziva's driving, she got them there on time.

* * *

Short Chapter

I'm not a die-hard McGiva fan, though I do like the idea of the two of them together. Part of me felt that Tony didn't deserve Ziva since he never took a chance on/with her.

Please let me know what you think.

Also, if anyone has any ideas of activities/things that would interest Ziva, please let me know. Thanks


	2. Going Home (2)

See previous chapter for disclaimer.  
Not Beta'd

Story takes place season 6 (February 2009); Vance is director, team was split up for a few months. I will reference some events, in future chapters, but I don't plan on the latter half of this season to happen (Rivkin, Ziva leaving, etc)

* * *

"Was it as bad as you thought?" Ziva asked Tim that evening as they left the bullpen for the night, only to be met by silence as a preoccupied Tim quietly entered the elevator with her.

"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" Tim questioned, noticing Ziva looking at him expectantly.

"Tony, was he as bad as you thought? I heard him talk a bit about Valentine's Day before the call came in, but after that, I wasn't around the two of you most of the day."

"Lucky you," Tim said with a roll of his eyes, "The only time he stopped talking about it was when the news of six more weeks of winter was announced. Then he complained about that for about an hour or two. It was a nice respite," Tim commented, as they exited the elevator and then the building. "And it's only Monday," Tim muttered.

"That rodent again," Ziva muttered, "How can people expect a creature to predict the weather, especially by something as innocuous as seeing its shadow."

"I hope no one really takes it seriously, but it is kind of fun. I think the point is that the weather is unpredictable. Sometimes there are no major snowstorms after February, other times, it has snowed in May."

Ziva just shook her head as she unlocked her car.

"Tony," she said, causing McGee's head to shoot up and look around.

"Where?"

"He is not here," she corrected the misunderstanding. "No doubt he is still at his desk complaining about the paperwork he needs to finish," she continued with a laugh. "I was just trying to get the topic off of one rodent and back onto another."

Tim couldn't help but snicker, "I don't know if I would call Tony a rodent, a pest, definitely, but a rodent?"

"What?" Ziva questioned innocently. "A rodent is a pesky, annoying mammal that no one wants around, correct? And known to carry nasty diseases? And Tony did have one of those diseases, did he not?"

"I…well, yes, but" Tim hesitated for a couple of reasons: first, it was pretty humorous; second, she was right going by her definition, and third, it really wasn't worth arguing about. "Fine, Tony's a rodent."

"Good," Ziva nodded and smirked in satisfaction. "Now we must decide what to do about him."

"I think Gibbs would frown on rat poison," Tim offered.

"No, I do not mean kill, though if I did, I would enlist Abby's help, she can"

"Kill and leave no forensic evidence behind," Tim finished with her.

"Yes. I am good, but I am not that good," she stated seriously.

Tim softly chuckled; maybe he should hang around with some less dangerous women. "I don't believe Abby's ever proven that claim," Tim commented, "She threatens it often, but…" he trailed off with a shrug.

"If she had done something, you wouldn't have necessarily known, would you? After all, no forensic evidence. Wasn't that the point?"

Tim frowned, "There would be a body, or at least a missing person."

"Ah, but we would only be informed if it was related to the Navy or Marines, right?'

"Well, yeah, technically," he agreed uncomfortably.

Ziva smiled, "Don't worry, I do not believe she has proven it either, or that she ever will."

Tim snorted, "Took me a long time to come to that realization," he shared. "The entire time we were seeing each other that threat came up almost weekly."

Ziva's eyebrow rose, "A relationship based on fear?"

"Not based, just, well, I guess I would say strangled."

Ziva frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Tim shrugged, "I'm not one for yelling or confrontations, especially with women. Even more so when I lo-care for them. I want the people important to me to be happy. A lot of times the little things don't matter, so why fight about it? As long as I could be myself, be true to myself, then what they want is fine with me. I was happy if they were happy.

"When I was with Abby, I was always second guessing everything I was doing. I kept wondering what she thought, if what I did annoyed her, what I wore, how I acted. I didn't believe she would kill me, but what if she wanted to stop seeing me? In my mind, that was much worse. Looking back now, I see that _I_ didn't like who I was when we were together, so in all honestly, how could I expect her to like me?" Tim responded honestly.

"As for Abby...Abby was scared of the future, scared of change, scared of her feelings. She does care deeply, but at heart she's a scientist. She knows that there is no logic to emotions. She's afraid that if she lets her feelings rule her, if she gives herself over to those feelings, she'll lose herself. She was too afraid to take that chance."

"Hmm, I see," Ziva said softly as she filed his words to think about again later.

"So, no rat poison for Tony, that doesn't leave much else," Tim stated.

"I have been having a few thoughts, not sure if it would work though."

"Yeah, if I try something and it fails, I'll really never have any peace at work, even if I transfer to CCU."

"You would leave the team?"

"No, no, no, I don't have any plans to leave I'm just saying that there would be no peace if I planned something and it didn't work."

Ziva nodded, but refrained from commenting.

"So," Tim asked, "what's this plan?"

"I think maybe we should discuss it over dinner, my treat."

"No," Tim said, continuing at the hurt and surprised expression on his friend's face. "I don't mean no to dinner, I meant no to you treating."

"I am perfectly capable of paying for a meal for a friend."

"I know, and normally I would have no objection to you paying, but" he stressed, "since you are chauffeuring me around, and offering to help me with Tony, paying for your meal is the least I could do."

She took a moment and thought about his words. "I am chauffeuring you around, as you say, because you are my friend, and you live so close it would be rude and inconsiderate not to, especially after all the help you have given me. As for Tony, again I help because you are a friend, plus it is always good to interfere with his plans."

Tim smiled, "I would say we should just stop this debate and have dinner at my place, but," he frowned, "without a car I haven't been able to do much shopping and there's not much there that's edible."

Ziva laughed, "I don't even have that excuse, I just haven't been able to get the time between work schedules, various appointments, and other errands."

"So where should we go to eat?"

"There's a new restaurant I have been wanting to try, I think you would enjoy it as well. Would you mind if we go there?"

"Not at all," Tim agreed.

* * *

A/N: thank you for the reviews. And to Kittenlore who reminded me about Ziva's cooking (I already had a scene written that uses the idea, but her mention of it again in a review prompted another scene that will be taking place later, so thank you again, Kittenlore).

And again, I know some people don't like this pairing, but unless I had Timothy with an OC, which wouldn't work for this story, Ziva was the best choice. For the most part, I like Abby's character, just not how she treats & interacts with Tim the majority of the time. I think they would be a disaster together. While both women are strong, I see Abby as the type to really use and manipulate Tim, while with Ziva they would support each other. I mean, they aren't perfect together, but I think they could do well. I think Ziva would appreciate Timothy more than Abby would, since she usually takes even their friendship for granted.

I'm going on vacation, so not sure when I'll be able to upload the next chapter, I do have it all ready to go though, so if I have a good internet connection while away (and some time) it just might happen

2/21/18


	3. Ziva's Idea (3)

**Ziva's Idea**

See first chapter for Disclaimer.

Not Beta'd

* * *

"One of the reason's I did not want you to pay was because I would feel guilty if my idea didn't work," she admitted a few minutes after they had placed their order with their waitress.

"Ziva," Tim began, placing his hand over hers, "If it didn't work, I wouldn't blame you. I'll be the one to decide whether or not I use it. Regardless of the specifics, I know that there is always a chance of failure, of things going wrong. Obviously it was a risk I would've been willing to take.

"Now, tell me your plan," Tim said, blushing as he realized his hand was still upon hers and took steps to correct that oversight.

"In general, you tell Tony that you met someone and are spending Valentine's Day with them. A nice touch would be to go away that weekend."

"Lie?" Tim shook his head, "You know I can't lie well. One round of questions from Tony and it will be obvious."

"Not lying, per se," she explained. "Try to get a friend to agree to help you. You have 'met' her and will spend the holiday with her, a weekend away, nothing has to happen, just go sightseeing," she suggested.

"Who though? That's the problem. All of my exes," he shuddered, stopping that thought. "Yeah, I'll rather endure months, years of Tony's teasing than talk to them, let alone actually spend time with them in a romantic setting again."

"Not all your exes," Ziva said softly, causing Tim to look up.

"What? You mean…" His eyes widened, "No. Absolutely not."

"Why not? She's perfect. You guys are good friends, so you're comfortable around each other, the two of you should be able to pull this off. You are in constant contact so it will be easy to make it seem like more than friendship has been going on. Everyone knows how close you are, how much you two cared, care about each other."

"Yeah, we're friends, but I doubt anyone would really believe we were dating again. I'm a forever, serious kind of guy," he admitted, slightly embarrassed. "I don't really try to hide that. Abby lives for the here and now, remember, scared of the future, of change? Tony might believe that we casually hooked up, but nothing serious."

Ziva nodded, "That could work to."

"Maybe," Tim reluctantly admitted. "If it did, it could stop his teasing about not having plans, but there is a chance that if I tell him Abby and I were goig out together, he would take it to mean that we were both single, so are celebrating as friends or that she took pity on me when I asked her."

They paused their conversation as the waitress approached with their meals. After assuring her that they did not require anything else, they continued their discussion.

"So get Abby to tell him that she _wants_ to be with you. That would stop him in his path."

Tim shook his head and let that one slide by, not wanting to lose focus. Besides, she had brought up another point. "That brings up another point, you're forgetting one key factor."

Ziva frowned as she thought about her near perfect, though potentially risky plan, "What?"

"Abby would have to agree to do this."

Ziva rolled her eyes, "You are her 'Timmy', of course she will do it for you."

Tim shook his head in disagreement as he began listing the reasons why she might not. "One, I don't know that she could lie to Tony like that. I _know_ she won't lie to Gibbs. Two, the first time I do something to annoy her, she'll most likely back out, making it obvious that it was a farce. Three, she knows I'm looking for commitment, not casual. As you said, it's obvious how much I cared about her, it wouldn't be hard to imagine her believing that this is a trick to get her back or that I'll easily fall for her again, for 'real', making things awkward when we're suppose to end it."

"I..." Ziva hesitated, "Are those last ones really possibilities?"

Tim shook his head, "No, definitely not. As much as I once cared for Abby, I honestly can't imagine the two of us together."

Ziva recognized the sincerity of his words, as many people, including Timothy just now, he can't lie well. "Okay, then you will just have to convince her that you won't fall for her and that this isn't a scheme to get her back. Lying to Tony, again, not lying, just getting peace in the bullpen for a few weeks. As for lying to Gibbs, I agree she won't do that," Ziva concurred with a frown, before deciding, "You'll just have to tell him what's going on."

Tim snorted, "With everyone _but_ Tony aware of the truth, and what's really going on it seems more like a prank than a way to get a couple of weeks of peace and quiet."

Ziva's head snapped up, "What did you say?"

"That it's a lot of work for two weeks of peace and quiet," he reiterated.

"No, not that," Ziva disagreed, "A prank, a joke. That's it."

"What?"

"That's how you get Abby to agree. Stage it as a harmless prank on Tony."

"Bu-"

"An April Fool's Day joke," she announced. "After all, Tony once said that the groundwork for the best jokes are done months in advance.

"Nothing, _nothing_ ," she repeated, stressing that word, "that Tony plans for you can compare to you telling him that the two of you weren't really together for the last two months after all."

Tim shook his head, "I don't see how it's gonna work. Abby and I pretending to date for two months isn't going to be that funny."

"It is if you do it right. Either make him think that the two of you are serious, you know, marriage, family, house type of serious, or you can have a clandestine relationship, never saying anything, but leaving clues that would drive him crazy as he tried to figure out what was going on."

"The first one sounds better, and a bit easier, but it's still a lot of work. And again, Abby would have to agree." When Ziva went to interrupt, he held up a hand to stop her, "I might be able to convince her to help for two weeks, but two _months_? No. She'll miss her friends and clubs and concerts. I'm not even sure I could pretend to be with her for two months. We'll both be miserable."

"Wow, you really are over her."

Tim shrugged, "As I said, I cared for her a lot, she'll always have a place in my heart. I love her, but I'm not _in_ love with her, haven't been for a long time. I know Tony teases me, still hints that he thinks I'm hung up on her because I can be a push over when it comes to her, but, well," he admitted, "I am like that with a lot of people. As I said earlier, the little things don't really matter to me, but if it matters to someone else," he shrugged again, "I don't see arguing and disagreeing being worth the pain. As long as it doesn't cost me too much, I'm fine with giving in to her or someone else. I like that they are happy and that I had a hand in that."

Ziva's eyes widened as she took in his words from just now and earlier. It amazed her that what she took as weakness, the lack of courage to confront, was actually a strength, selflessness, putting others before yourself. It was a rare trait to find in someone.

"You are a rare man, Timothy McGee," she stated sincerely as she lifted her glass to salute him, causing him to blush.

"Thanks for the idea, Ziva," Tim said, ignoring her last comment, "I'll have to think about it. I'm not sure it'll work since I don't think Abby will agree," he said, as he discreetly took out his credit card to hand to the waitress as she came by.

"Wait, you are giving up?"

"If I think of something else, great, if not," he shrugged. "Hey, if you want to play a joke on Tony, we could let him believe I am transferring to CCU."

Ziva frowned as she stared at Tim, eyes narrowing, "That is the second time tonight you mentioned that. Are you sure it's not a possibility?"

"Not on my end," he assured her.

"Then whose?" she queried. Her companion just shrugged as he signed the receipt the waitress brought over. "Timothy."

"We've been split up before. The fact that we're still together is surprising. Unless someone else leaves due to medical reasons, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the first one to go."

"I-"

"It's okay, Ziva. As far as I know, nothing is planned and I don't intend to change that. I love being a field agent and being on Gibbs' team with all of you, even Tony," he added with a smile.

"It would not be the same without you," she admitted, wondering why he believed that he would be the first to be transferred out. "If those orders ever came through, you better believe that I would make sure that there were no other possiblities."

"Okay," he said, before ending the subject. "Are you ready to go?"

"The bill," she said, looking at the table.

"Already taken care of."

Ziva's eyes narrowed, and she glared at Tim, "Very well, but I will have you over to my apartment for dinner," she promised as they left the restaurant.

* * *

As you can probably tell by now, I'm strong on dialogue, descriptive paragraphs, not as much.

Thank you for all who reviewed, I really appreciate them

3/2/18


	4. Finalizing the Plan (4)

Not Beta'd

See first chapter for disclaimer

* * *

Finalizing the Plan

The drive to Tim's apartment started off in silence. Both were caught up in there thoughts regarding their discussion over dinner. Tim hoping that the next two weeks, the next two months, weren't going to be as bad as he imagined. Ziva, wishing there was a way to help her friend who had done so much for her.

A few blocks from the restaurant, Ziva asked, "There is a grocery store at the corner up here, I can stop if you need anything."

"Oh, I'm okay," Tim said.

"Timothy,"

"Really, I have the essentials, wouldn't know what else to get right now."

"Very well, when you do decide what you need, let me know. I'll probably go one night this week if we get out early enough, or else I'll go Saturday morning. You are more than welcome to join me."

"Thanks," he said softly as the fell back into a comfortable silence.

"Ziva, you can just let me out here," he said as they approached the front of his building.

"No," Ziva disagreed as she pulled into a parking space, "I am going up with you. I want to finish our conversation from earlier."

"But…fine," he said when she turned to glare at him.

"Come on," he said as he led the way to his apartment.

"Have a seat," he offered after unlocking the door. "Would you like a drink? Coffee?"

"I am fine."

"Okay, what's to finish?" he asked as he entered the kitchen.

"There is no one else to play the role of your new girlfriend? And you are sure that you do not want to ask Abby?"

Tim shook his head, as he measured out the coffee, "Positive about Abby. And no, not believably and not for two months. Who would be willing to put there own life on hold for two months just to help me?"

"I would."

Tim smiled, as he started the coffee brewing, then turned around to face her, "I know you would Ziva, thanks."

"No, I mean, I would. I _will_." she declared staring at Tim, who stared back in shocking silence.

She looked seriously, but she couldn't mean what he thought he did. "I…you…what?" his brain finally asked.

"I would do it and I believe I could do it convincingly."

Tim just continued to stare at her, unsure how to respond.

"I haven't been seeing anyone recently," she admitted, "And after everything that has happened I've been rather private regarding my social life. That could work to our advantage."

"So we just announce we're dating?" he skeptically asked.

Ziva shook her head, "No, that he probably would not believe. We do not announce anything, but we do not hide it either.

"We mention our dinner together last night and in the future; movies we have seen; potential plans. We continue to ride in together, even after your car is returned. We should make sure we mention running together in the morning with Jethro."

Tim's eyes widened, "You know Tony'll think-"

"I know, that is the point," Ziva grinned. "And if we were truly together, we would, eventually. If he asks us, we will not deny it, nor confirm it," she smirked.

"That…that could work," Tim quietly admitted. "You know, we'll have to spend a lot more time together. I wouldn't put it past Tony to follow us, stop by our apartments unannounced, or track our phones to see what's going on. It would also look strange if we got a call out but were never together. I'm not talking about living in each other's back pockets," he hurriedly explained, not wanting to freak Ziva out, "but more time together than just coworkers or friends."

Ziva nodded, seeing his point, "The amount of time lovers spend together."

"Er, yeah." Tim confirmed, cheeks going red.

Ziva smiled fondly, it was so sweet how he couldn't hide that reaction. The fact that he even had that reaction revealed a lot about him. "We'll have to do other things lovers do," she said, nodding towards the bedroom.

Tim's blush deepened, and he opened his mouth to protest.

"Little gifts, exchanging looks, light contact, small thoughtful gestures," she clarified for Tim's benefit, who nodded in understanding and relief. "We should probably 'sleep' together as well. To get to know each other's habits, night and morning routines, what side of the bed we sleep on, how we sleep."

Tim gulped, but realized the truth of her words. After all, if they were going to keep this charade up for two months, it would be strange if they didn't know that fact about each other, especially if they were trying to portray the image that the relationship had been ongoing for a while.

"We will have to kiss as well, on the cheek, occasional peck on the lips, it would be good for Tony or even someone else to 'catch' us. Word will get back to him."

Tim nodded, thinking about her words and what would be involved if they had a hope of pulling this offer. After a few minutes of serious thinking, he finally declared, "It won't work."

"Why not?" A confused Ziva inquired.

"Ziva, there is no way Tony or anyone else will believe that _you_ are dating _me."_

"Why not?" she repeated.

"Ziva, look at you. You…you're," Tim hesitated, not willing to damage their friendship by speaking out of turn. "Guys like me, geeks, don't ride off into the sunset with the girl, the heroine. The hero gets the girl, the sidekick gets the dog," he said, giving the German shepherd on the floor a look, "No offense, Jethro." His dog just rolled over, ignoring them.

"Tim, you are a smart, talented, skillful field agent. You are also a best-selling novelist, a terrific friend, a great brother, a caring, thoughtful man, a wonderful guy, and a true gentleman. You have a lot to offer a girl. I have no doubt that you would be an excellent lover, husband, and father. Why would any woman looking to settle down pass you by?"

"The key phrase is looking to settle down. Will they believe that?"

She nodded, "They can," she nodded. "I have dated seriously over the years. Long monogamous relationships. I was not one to sow the wild field," she stated, causing Tim to smile. "It is clear that I am looking for more than a one-night stand or casual relationship."

Once she finished and noticed Tim was still smiling, she glared at him. When he still hadn't responded to what she said, she asked, "What?"

"It's playing the field or sow your wild oats."

Zive threw up her hands, exasperated, "What farming has to do with relationships, I will never understand," she muttered. "You understand my point."

"I do."

Ziva smirked and lifted an eyebrow teasingly, "Practicing your marriage vows already? Do you not think we should have a date first?"

Tim grinned, "I believe we just did, dinner," he clarified.

Ziva smiled, "So we are doing this?"

Tim shrugged, still not sure, "It's your choice," he finally offered.

"Unless you tell me a reason why we cannot, I say yes. I think it will be fun, not to mention good for all of us. You, me, and Tony.

Tim remained silent as he thought about her plan. There was definitely going to be some challenges involved if they expected to pull it off. Could they pull it off? Was it worth the risk if Tony found out it was a sham before Valentine's Day or April Fool's Day.

Instinctively knowing what he was thinking, Ziva shared, "If the truth is revealed before the announcement, I will tell Tony it was my idea, which it was," she reminded Tim. "That I enlisted your cooperation so I can participate in this Day of Fool's. He will have no trouble believing I coerced you into helping."

"No doubt," Tim responded dryly, once more reminding how dangerous she could be.

"Any other objections?"

Again Tim thought, while Ziva got up to finally pour them some of the coffee he had brewed. Tim smiled as she handed him the cup. After taking a few sips, he again responded, "We can't do this."

Her smile changed to a frown, she thought they had addressed all the possible stumbling blocks. "I have never known you to be so negative. What now?"

"There's someone who won't like this."

Ziva replayed his words in her head. Was he referring to Abby? She remembered in the past how protective the scientist had become whenever Tim started a new relationship. Did he think Abby was going to cause trouble for them? Perhaps he wanted to talk to Abby about this first? Even though he stated that he did not believe Abby would participate or that he could pretend with her for two months, maybe he still wanted to give her the opportunity to be involved? Or the opportunity to help after all.

"Gibbs."

Ziva responded automatically, her thoughts still thinking about Abby, "You think he would want to help you do this?"

Tim gave a solid laugh, "No, Rule 12."

"Ah," she realized what he meant. She stood up heading towards the door, Tim echoing her actions. Comprehending that she meant to leave, he held out her coat to assist her with it, assuming that meant the end of their planning.

Nodding, she finally spoke, "We will just have to let Gibbs in on the plan" she said before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and leaving.

* * *

3/13/18


	5. Morning After (5)

**Morning After**

Tim woke up to his cell phone ringing a half hour before his alarm was set to go off. He looked at his phone as he answered the call. "Ziva, did we get a call out?" he groggily asked, sitting up.

"No, but can you open your door?"

"My door?" he repeated as he mechanically got out of bed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, "as long as you open your door."

By now Tim had reached the door of his small apartment and after unlocking the dead bolt and releasing the chain, he turned the handle and opened the door. "Ziva?" he questioned as he ended the call. "Why are you here?"

Ziva stood in his doorway, a large box in her hands and a bag over her shoulder.

"Timothy, did you even look through the spy-hole before unlocking or opening the door? What if I was a killer?"

"You are," he replied dryly.

"Ah, but what if I was a killer that wanted to hurt you?"

Tim shrugged as he stepped away, allowing her entry and closing the door behind her, "A locked door wouldn't protect me much."

"It could give you time to call for help," she scolded as she kicked the door close with her foot, pointedly glancing between the lock and Tim until the half-asleep agent took the hint and locked the door.

Tim rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'll check the peephole from now on. Now, what's up? Why are you here, er, not that it's not great to see you, it is, bu-"

"Shh," she instructed, balancing the box in one hand, as she used the other to place a finger on his lips to prevent him from continuing. "I thought we could run together and then have breakfast to discuss our plans."

"Er, okay," Tim agreed, noticing her running outfit. "Um, I'll just get changed."

"You do that," Ziva smirked, as she placed her bag down, before carrying the box into the kitchen and beginning to empty it.

Once Tim returned, he grabbed his keys and Jethro's leash then turned to open the door, indicating for Ziva to precede him. "The park is probably the best place to run. Jethro's familiar with it and they do a good job keeping the paths clear of ice."

"Sounds good."

"I usually just walk over, it gives Jethro a chance to take care of business.," Tim stated leading the way. During the walk, they used the time to get a head start on learning more about each other, things couples would know about each other, that just working alongside one another didn't cover. Once they entered the park, Tim glanced at Ziva and at her nod, the two started running, easily matching strides, Jethro alongside them.

By unspoken agreement, after a few turns around the park, the two headed back to Tim's apartment at the same time.

"That was good," Ziva said as they stood on Tim's doorstep as he unlocked the lobby entrance. "I never realized how much I had enjoyed running with someone."

At Tim's look of surprise, both because she was being so open with him as well as the compliment, Ziva smirked and clarified, "Jethro."

"Why you," he teased as scooped a handful of snow from the railing and threw it at her.

She screeched and quickly tried to retaliate as Tim and the dog stepped inside the lobby and closed the glass door behind them. After her attempts failed, he opened the door for her to join him.

"I will get you back," she promised, as they made their way up to his apartment.

"Er, breakfast?" he asked, noticing the time. "I'm sure you want to go home to shower and change. Of course, I'm not sure what I have here, but I know I have eggs. Or you can go home to change, come back for me and we can stop somewhere on the way to work."

Ziva smiled at his rambling, "We will stay here. I brought some food since I wasn't sure what you had. I also brought clothes to change into. You shower first and then I will take over the bathroom."

"Er, okay," a surprised Tim agreed, automatically heading to follow her plan.

Tim tried to rush through his regular morning routine, not wanting to be the cause of them running late, especially since Ziva needed the bathroom to shower-his bathroom, his shower, he thought before stopping that line of thought. He could do this. He would have to if they wanted any hope of pulling this off.

After exiting the bathroom, which he tried to leave even neater and cleaner than normal, Tim entered his bedroom wearing a seldom worn bathrobe, a Christmas gift from his mother. He quickly called out to Ziva that the bathroom was free and tried not to watch as she entered the small room. Tim still felt a little awkward. The two had been in close quarters before for work, hotels, ships, and such, but not in his personal space. To him, this just seemed more, well, personal, intimate, especially since there wasn't a case to focus on like in the past.

Once he finished dressing, he shouted to be heard through the door, "Ziva, I'm going to start breakfast."

"It should be finished soon," she yelled back, "The timer should go off in about five minutes or so."

"Oh, then I'll pour us some coffee."

"Tea for me please," she requested instead.

"Er…I don't think I have any," his tone apologetic.

"I brought some with me. It is in a canister in the cabinet next to your coffee."

"Oh. Okay."

"I'll be out soon."

"No, rush," Tim said as he headed for the kitchen.

"Oh," he paused and looked around his living room in surprise. It had been a mess when he went to sleep last night. He remembered leaving a basket of clean clothes on the chair since he got an idea for a story as he started to fold the laundry. He had spent the next few hours writing, before he finally fell into bed exhausted. He also hadn't sorted and filed his mail, as was his normal routine. When the scene for his book hit him, he had not only abandoned his laundry, but had left his dinner plate and coffee mug on the table by his desk. And he knows he had stepped on some of Jethro's toys last night as he stumbled his way to his bed.

Yet now, all of that was gone. His writing desk was left untouched, but the mail was neatly straightened in a pile on the corner of the table, the dirty dishes removed, the dog's toys in his basked, and his laundry neatly folded.

"Please be elves," he muttered blushing red at the idea of Ziva folding his clothes. "Please be elves."

"What was that?" she smiled as she stood behind him.

"Um, just reminding myself to thank you for straightening up. Er, thank you."

"It was no problem," she returned, as the oven buzzer sounded. "Ah, breakfast is ready."

For the first time, Tim noticed the delicious aroma emitting from his kitchen. "What is that? It smells incredible," he asked following her into the kitchen.

"Why thank you, Timothy. It's a breakfast pastry I learned from my travels. I don't make it too often as it is impossible to cut the recipe in half and a full batch is too much for just me," she paused as she looked at him. "I brought an electric kettle," she informed him, giving a nod to the new appliance on the counter, "It will heat up water quickly for my tea."

Tim nodded as he started the kettle and prepared her tea before pouring himself some coffee.

"I thought I heard you mention something about elves," she stated as she checked on the pastry, before deciding it need to cook a little longer.

"Oh, er, just a bit embarrassed that you came over and had to clean up after me and fold my laundry."

Ziva shrugged, "I did not have to," she replied, "However, I had some time on my hands while I waited for you to finish in the bathroom, and decided why not? After all, isn't that what couples do for each other?"

Tim shrugged, "I guess. Never really got to that stage with someone."

"Not even Abby?"

Tim blushed, "Er, no. Abby wasn't one for domesticity. She preferred to go out to eat or clubbing, when we did end up at her place, we usually just went straight-" he broke off and turned away from Ziva, trying to hid his embarrassment.

"Ah, say no more, I understand, at least about what you were saying, still not sure about the elves," she admitted.

"Oh, it's an old fairy tale about an old, poor shoemaker who only had enough leather for one pair of shoes. He cut the material, but decided to get some rest first before finishing the shoes. When he woke the next morning, the work was complete, and a beautiful pair of shoes was sitting on his workbench. See, while he slept, elves took over his work shop and finished the shoes. The shoemaker was able to sell the shoes for much more than usual and used the money to buy food and more leather. It continued that he would cut the leather before he went to sleep and in the morn, a beautiful, new pair of shoes would be there in it's place."

"I see, so when you woke and saw the work done, you wished elves had done it. I can understand that, it would be quite something for elves to visit, especially since you are their Lord," she smiled.

Tim reddened slightly, and used the excuse of her water boiling to turn away.

"If we are dating for the next few weeks, does that make me the Elf Lady?"

"You are already a lady," he commented, before returning to the previous conversation, and looking at the pastry she just removed from the oven, "So, why don't you have this as leftovers?"

Ziva shook her head, "Two things with that, first, I should say a whole batch _should be_ too much for me, yet I enjoy it so much, my will power disappears when I make it." Tim lifted his eyebrow doubtfully. He couldn't recall a time when Ziva's will power ever left her. "No, really," she said, continuing when he still looked skeptical, "You will see." she promised as she started placing pastry on the plates she had retrieved from the cabinet.

"And the second thing?"

"It does not taste well cold, or reheated," she regretfully admitted.

Tim brought both cups to the table before rejoining her in the kitchen. "You could've brought it in for us," he said as he snatched the two plates from her and also carried them to the table.

"And have Tony expect it everyday? Or at least every week? Not to mention he would never keep quiet in between feedings, always asking when the next one was."

Tim snorted at her phrasing and at the probable truth of her words.

"Well, then, I feel privileged," he said, holding out a chair for her to sit in, "My Elf Lady," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, My Elf Lord," she said, nodding her thanks for the chair as well as his words, "I hope you enjoy it," she continued when he sat down and they both picked up their forks to eat.

"Oh my God, this is incredible," was all he said until his plate was empty.

"There is more in the pan," she commented.

"I shouldn't" he said, looking at the pan on the counter.

"It's just going to go to waste," she reminded him.

Tim smiled, "We could bring it in for Tony."

"You could do that," she said before adding, "I will simply say that it came from your kitchen, giving him the impression that you made it. _You_ will be the one he dog pounds for more."

"Hounds, he hounds for more," he corrected with a smile, standing up to retrieve the pan.

"Hounds, pounds," Ziva muttered as she shook her head in exasperation.

"And in that case I'll split the rest with you," he said before adding more to both their plates."

"Of course," he said after he finished his second helping, "If we had brought it in, I simply would've told Tony that while it came _from_ my kitchen, you were the one who made it. That definitely would've piqued his curiosity."

Ziva smiled as she gathered the used dishes, "I think there are other ways we can do that."

* * *

3/21/18

Usual disclaimer applies.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Feel free to read and review :)

if anyone has some good fic recommendations, they would be appreciated. I'm looking for something to read while I wait to see how much snow this storm brings.


	6. McConference (6)

Previous Disclaimer still applies

Not Beta'd (feel free to pm me or review regarding corrections or problems that need to be addressed.)

* * *

"Boss, can I talk to you a minute?" Tim asked after he received a text from Ziva who had left the bullpen a few minutes earlier. The entire drive into work, the two of them had discussed how to tell Gibbs about the plan and who should tell him. The only thing they agreed on was that they needed to tell him as soon as possible.

The two had been in the office for over an hour, most of that time alone, where the discussion continued via e-mail. Ziva thought she should be the one to inform Gibbs since it was her idea. Tim, however, knew that the plan wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the issues between him and Tony, and therefore should be his responsibility. Tim had a few other reasons why he believed he should be the one to tell his boss, but knew better than to mention them to his coworker.

Tim had finally asked Ziva to secure a room when Gibbs returned to the bullpen, and the two males would meet her there, giving them them privacy they needed to inform Gibbs of what was going on.

Gibbs inclined his head and met the young agent's gaze, indicating he was listening.

"Privately."

At McGee's request, Tony's head snapped up and any pretense that he wasn't listening in on that conversation was gone.

Gibbs simply raised an eyebrow before standing and heading towards the elevator.

"Er, Boss, this might take a bit, perhaps it is best to use conference room 3 rather than tie up the elevator."

Without pause, Gibbs shifted direction and lead Tim to the requested room. Upon entering, the first thing he noticed was Ziva sitting in the room, hands folded together neatly upon the table.

"What's this about?" he gruffly asked as he took a seat. He was very curious as to why two of his agents wished to speak to him, especially since he was given the impression that it was just one that was involved in this conversation.

Ziva and Tim exchanged looks. They hadn't really discussed the best way to approach Gibbs with this.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

Ziva started off, "It is about turning the desks on Tony."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and Tim corrected softly, "Tables."

"Yes, turning the tables on Tony. Every year he makes these next few months annoying for everyone and almost unbearable for McGee," Ziva continued. She and Tim then briefly explained the annual tease and torture fest that begins in February and does not end until April. "This year, we have found a way to give him a taste of his own medicine," she finished, looking at Tim expectantly.

He shook his head and gave her a smile, "You got that one right."

"Finally," she muttered softly, returning his smile.

"Look," Gibbs said, before either Ziva or Tim could continue, "I don't care what you guys do to each other, as long as it doesn't affect your work, or the team."

Tim turned away from his boss to hide the reaction he knew was obvious on his face.

"Er, well, it might," Tim finally shared. "Or at least it will effect the perception of the team," he clarified. "I…we…er, Ziva and I are going to pretend that we are, well, seeing each other. Nothing obvious," he rushed to explain, "Just little hints that we _might_ be more than good friends. We plan on starting now and ending it on April Fools Day."

"We won't be obvious, just enough to drive Tony up the wall as he tries to figure out what is going on."

Gibbs' gaze flitted between the two, "And why are you telling me?"

"Rule 12," they replied in unison.

"But you're not really breaking it," he sharply reminded them, looking between them.

"No, but if Tony is able to pick up our hints and suspect that we are more than friends, then obviously you would as well. We would not want you to think that we are breaking that rule. Neither one of us wants to be in that situation."

"Plus," Tim added, blushing, "If we were really seeing each other, I would approach you to tell you. I wouldn't do it to gain your permission," he said, meeting Gibbs' gaze, "I would still break that rule, regardless, but if she, our relationship, was important enough for me to break that rule, it would be important enough for me to tell you in person," he admitted. "I couldn't start off a relationship by hiding it, as if I was ashamed of her. Yes, it might not be anyone else's business, but since we are a part of _your_ team and it goes against _your_ rule, I would tell you. I could do no less." Once finished, Tim, face even redder than before, looked down at the table, now unable to meet the gaze of his companions.

Before Tim had turned his gaze away, Gibbs had met it. What he saw in the younger man's eyes was the sincerity of his words and the respect he held for both the rules and their creator. Even knowing the younger man couldn't see his action, Gibbs nodded in acceptance.

Ziva looked on proudly. Tim really was a man of character. She felt lucky to have such a friend.

"Okay, so you're telling me the two of you are in a relationship," as they both opened their mouths to protest he glared at them and continued, "Real or fake, that's what this boils down to. Just know that your actions can have unexpected consequences. Things don't always work out as planned," he advised. "I just hope you are ready and able to deal with them."

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy," Tim muttered as Gibbs nodded and stood, indicating the meeting was over.

"Are we still doing this?" Ziva asked Tim, who took a deep breath and nodded. "Good," she said, leaning over to kiss his cheek, causing Gibbs' eyebrow to rise in surprise and Tim's cheeks to redden.

After Gibbs had left, she and Tim had talked and decided to stagger their return to not give Tony any hints so early in the game, so to speak. "Where is everyone?" Ziva asked a few moments later when she returned to the bullpen.

"I'm right here," Tony replied with a smirk. "Who else do you need?" he continued before tensing, expecting a headslap. When one didn't come, he carefully looked around, "huh, that's surprising," he remarked.

"What is?"

"Usually a comment like that has Gibbs popping up out of no where," he replied, causing Ziva's head to snap up. "He's behind me now, isn't he?"

"No," Ziva denied. "Do you know where he is?"

"Conference with Probie."

Ziva looked towards the elevator.

Tony shook his head, "Nope, _real_ conference room."

"Why?"

"Probie requested it. The meeting _and_ the room," Tony clarified. "Said he wanted to talk to Gibbs privately and that it would take too long to tie up the elevator."

"Hmm."

"I know, right? What could it be possibly be about?" Tony speculated as he leaned back and placed his feet on the desk. "I mean, obviously he's in some kind of trouble." When Ziva went to question him, Tony added, "Why else would he need to talk to Gibbs privately? Maybe it's medical," Tony snorted. "Maybe he has poison ivy again and can't sit down at his desk. Or he's developed another kind of rash. Perhaps he's discovered he's allergic to latex and can no longer wear gloves at crime scenes. Or he-"

"Or maybe it is something personal," Ziva injected.

"Hey, a rash is personal, especially if it's where I think it is," Tony defended. "This is Probie we're talking about. One, he doesn't have a personal life, except for those computer games he plays all night; Two, even if he did, he wouldn't voluntarily talk to Gibbs about it unless it somehow might interfere with his work. I mean, I try all the time to get the guy to open up to me, but he just clams up."

Ziva lifted and eye brow, "Is that what you are calling it?"

"What? I ask questions and dig deeper for responses."

"You're digging yourself into a hole, DiNozzo," Gibbs remarked as he reentered the bullpen, "Now finish that report."

"On it, Boss," Tony complied, looking around, "Where's McConference?"

When his boss just stared at him, Tony said, "Just want to make sure everything is okay with him. He usually doesn't volunteer private information."

Gibbs nodded at his SFA before looking back down at his desk, "Just needed to inform me of something."

Tony nodded and mouthed to Ziva, 'Rash'.

* * *

3-27-18

Hope you enjoyed it. I have about 50,000 words of this story written so far. I have recently spent some time changing things around since originally _a lot_ happened in the first two weeks of the story, leaving not much to occur in March. Sorry if it seems a bit slow in parts.


	7. Conditional (7)

Usual Disclaimer still applies.

Not beta'd

We see Abby in this chapter.

Just a bit of a warning: Hopefully I wasn't too hard on her. Part of me likes Abby's character (the quirks, individuality. self-confidence), another part of me sees how manipulative, mean, and controlling she can be (Dog Tags is the foremost one in my mind, but there are other instances).

Actually, it's kind of funny, 'cause as I write this fic, I often have to go back and delete/change things because I bashed the characters or had Timmy all angsty (yeah, yeah, not a real word, but you know what I mean), makes me wonder if I should write a fic like that. Of course, it could be the result of the fics I'm reading :)

* * *

A few hours later, after all case reports were finished and turned in, the three agents were working on cold cases. After Gibbs left the bullpen, presumably for more coffee, Tony immediately turned to McGee, "You sitting okay there, Probie?"

"What?" Tim asked absently, focusing on the file in front of him, "I'm fine."

"You sure? I'm sure we could get you a pillow or something to help."

"Help with what?" Tim asked, finally looking up from his desk to glance at his teammate.

"Your condition."

Tim rolled his eyes and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like 'I know I'm gonna regret this,' before taking the bait, "What condition?"

"The one you had to tell Gibbs about. _Privately_."

A confused Tim looked to Ziva for clarification.

"He believes your conference with Gibbs was to discuss a medical condition that could interfere with your work performance or duties."

Tim turned to Tony in surprise. Before he could comment, Ziva added, "He suspects a rash," she explained, pointedly lowering her eyes.

"Really, Tony?" Tim asked in disgust. "Maybe I had something serious to discuss with him."

"A serious medical condition?" Tony asked doubtfully.

"Who has a serious medical condition?" Abby asked as she entered the bullpen. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Not McGoo and not sure, coffee perhaps?"

"Why not McGee?" Ziva inquired.

"If it was that serious, the director would be involved, as would Ducky and most likely all of us, not just Gibbs."

"It's called private information for a reason," Tim snapped.

"Timmy? You're sick?" Abby asked.

Tim shook his head, "Just of the people here," he mumbled softly.

Ziva frowned at his words, while Abby and Tony grinned.

"So what was that private conference about, McSecrets?" Tony asked.

"It's personal and private, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied with a glare since he was not close enough to head slap the agent. "Abby, what do you need?"

"Oh, well, I was wondering if Timmy could help me with a project in the lab," she requested.

Gibbs looked to Tim who shrugged, "Working on cold cases, boss. Haven't found anything new to pursue yet," he admitted.

"Okay, flag it. If you're going to be more than an hour helping Abby, let me know."

"Yes, boss," Tim agreed, standing up to follow lab back to her lab.

Tim stood in the middle of Abby's lab, glaring at her in shock and anger. "Is this what you brought me down here for?" he hissed, staring at her computer. "You know we have tech support for this."

"What? No, of course not," Abby denied, "But since you're here, you can do it and save them a trip and me a frustrating afternoon, right?"

"Again, that's what tech support is for."

"You know I can't trust them with my babies," she replied.

Tim rolled his eyes, "First off, you have _never_ referred to the computer as your baby before. Major Mass Spec, yes; the DNA analyzer, sure; the p-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. But will you do it? For me?" she pleaded.

"Only if you tell me what the project is," he bargained.

"After," she negotiated, as she turned towards the papers on the counter.

"During," Tim counter offered.

Abby remained silent, pretending to be caught up in her reports.

"Abby."

"Fine," she reluctantly muttered in agreement, "During."

Tim nodded as he started to inspect her computer, fully prepared to stop if she didn't keep up her end of the deal.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tim replied, wondering if she was trying to stall.

She turned to scrutinize him, "Then why is Tony talking about serious medical conditions?"

"It's Tony, he lives to torment me."

"Timmy,"

"Seriously, I'm fine," he repeated his early response. "No medical condition, serious or otherwise."

"And the conference with Gibbs? McSecrets?" she asked.

"Slow day if that's all Tony can come up with for a nickname," Tim commented, hoping to distract her, which naturally didn't work.

"The conf-"

"As Gibbs said, personal and private. As my immediate supervisor, he deserved, needed to know. Everyone else…" Tim shrugged and trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

"So you're not going to tell us?"

"Personal and private," Tim repeated, not understanding why his coworkers had such a difficult time with that concept.

"Timmy, I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything."

Sometimes it still amazed Tim how much Abby proclaimed that she held that title. After the way she treated him at times, anyone else would've avoided her at all costs. Then again, he didn't have that many friends, so it was quite possible Abby _was_ his best friend, and how sad was that? A best friend that didn't respect his privacy, rarely initiated contact unless she wanted something and tried to manipulate him every chance she got? Rather than saying what was really on his mind, Tim just inclined his head at her words, remaining silent. Instead, he bent his head back down, looking once more at her computer.

"Timmy?" Abby pleaded.

"How about you start telling me about that project?" he offered instead.

"Abby?" he said as he paused when she didn't speak. Eyes narrowed, "There isn't a project is there? You brought me down here to look at your computer and to question me about my meeting with Gibbs."

"C'mon Timmy, you know you want to tell me."

A silent McGee just looked away and continued working on her computer for a few minutes.

"McGee?"

Tim remained silent. Part of him really wanted to leave, but if he did so with her computer torn apart he knew he would hear about it from Gibbs and that wasn't worth it.

"Timmy, you're going to tell me anyway," she stated firmly, "You might as well do it now."

Finally Tim looked up and began speaking, "Looks like a few cables need to be replaced, possibly the connectors as well. I can call tech services for you so they know the exact problem and how to fix it."

Abby glared at him, "You know that wasn't what I was asking about, Timmy," she sulked.

"But that's why I'm here," he stated, meeting her gaze. "You can call tech services. Now, if there is nothing else, I'll head back upstairs."

"Nothing else?" She hissed, "We haven't finished this conversation yet. You haven't told me a darn thing," she continued as Tim left the lab. "McGee!" she yelled, chasing after him, figuring she could prevent him from closing the elevator doors. "McGee!"

Tim however, bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs, not wanting to risk being cornered by Abby.

* * *

4-3-18

I actually can't believe I chose a romance for the first long fic to post...never considered myself a romance writer (probably because I have so little romance in my life)

If anyone is interesting in being available to toss ideas around with me regarding this fic, please let me know. I'm getting to some parts of the story where I am debating if I should go left or right so to speak and could use a sounding board.


	8. About the Basement (8)

Disclaimer still applies

not beta'd

* * *

"You know, if something is wrong, you can tell me," Tony told a frustrated Tim as the two left the Navy Yard together.

Since it was still fairly quiet, with the team not receiving a call out, Tim had decided to leave the building for lunch, making sure he had his phone on him. This was partly to keep him away from Abby and partly to think more about the plan with Ziva. Even though they had informed Gibbs of the plan, that didn't mean they were locked into following it. There was still time to change their minds.

Of course, in accordance with typical McGee luck, Tony caught sight of Tim leaving and decided it was a good opportunity to have lunch together. Tim suspected Tony only did so to ask more questions about his meeting with Gibbs, something he couldn't do in the bullpen when the boss was around. His statement just confirmed that to Tim.

"I could," Tim admitted.

"But you won't?"

Tim shrugged, not giving a verbal response.

"McGee. It's obvious something is going on. I mean, you _asked_ to speak to Gibbs. In private and in a real conference room, no less. You never ask for help, so this must be something really big."

"Tony, I'm fine."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you," Tony snorted. "It had to be something so pressing you couldn't even wait to show up at Gibbs' basement tonight like normal. Face it, Probie, you told him at work either because it couldn't wait, in which case you need my help, or because you wanted me, us to kow about it, in which case," he repeated, "You might as well tell us now."

Tim started at Tony's words, "I never even thought of going to Gibbs' basement." he quietly admitted. Tony just sat in shock, how could someone _not_ think of going to the boss when they were in trouble. Of course, this was McGee, who often tried to handle everything himself, only asking for help as a last resort.

"I've never been," Tim added on, breaking Tony's thought process.

"Been what?" a confused Tony asked, biting his tongue to keep from teasing Tim about all the things Tony had suspected he had never been.

"In Gibbs' basement; at his house, actually," Tim elaborated, "Except for rides or work, ya know."

"Uh, no, I didn't," Tony stated, looking at Tim in surprise. "You've never showed up at his door in the middle of the night needing to talk? Get something off your mind or chest?"

"No."

"Huh." Part of Tony really wanted to ask Probie why not, but he suspected that not only would it keep them off topic, but that he probably wouldn't get a good answer. "Well, then, that just shows how worried I should be about this conference. This was prime basement material and you couldn't wait. Something serious must be going on."

"Tony, nothing is going on," an exasperated Tim repeated. "No rash or other medical conditions. No sisters being framed for murder. No stolen book resulting in murders. No-"

"Okay, I get what's not going on. Still doesn't change the fact that something is. Voluntary conference with Gibbs, remember?"

"How can I forget when you bring it up every few minutes?"

"Hey, you brought it up first, remember?"

"Yeah, and next time I need to speak to Gibbs privately, I'll be sure to inform him of that fact privately as well," Tim shared. "Or I'll go to the basement," he scowled.

"McGee."

"Tony, nothing is going on. I don't know how many times I need to tell you. I just had something I thought Gibbs deserved to know, so I told him. At the moment, it does not concern you or anyone else not in that room. If that changes, I will let you know, now, can we please drop it?"

Tony looked at Tim's profile as he parked the car by the deli they agreed to go to for lunch. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed, "But you know you can tell me anything, right? Like Gibbs, my door is always open, even if I don't have a basement."

"I know," Tim replied. After all, he could tell anyone anything, didn't mean he would or that he should. He would probably visit Gibbs' basement before he willingly goes to Tony for help.

"Good, as long as you know that. Now, let's go in, I'm starving," Tony announced as they exited the car and entered the deli, where they quickly placed their orders and grabbed a booth.

"So, with Valentine's being on a Saturday this year, I'm thinking I could take advantage of the weekend and rent a little romantic getaway."

"I believe we're on call," Tim shared, wondering how that fact escaped Tony's radar.

"What? No, we can't be. We were on call the week of Christmas and New Year's. I thought we were supposed to rotate holidays?"

"Major holidays," Tim retorted, "Easter, Memorial Day, The Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, Valentine's Day is not considered a major holiday by anyone, except you."

"Au contraire, McSingle, I'll have you know the lovely lady I spend it with also considers it a major holiday. And if she doesn't now, she will afterwards," he gloated.

"Whatever," Tim replied dismissively, "Still doesn't change the fact that we're on call."

"Ugh, so much for that plan," Tony said depressingly.

"Sorry, looks like you'll have to do something closer to home, and with someone understanding of your work schedule."

"Or," Tony began cheerfully, sitting straight up, "I can take advantage of the fact that we are on call."

"How are you going to do that?" Tim inquired curiously.

"I will make plans to go away _this_ weekend as an early Valentine's Day celebration, due to the fact that I'm on call next week and would hate it if we were interrupted."

Tim nodded seeing the sense of that, he wondered if he should mention that to Ziva, after all, her plan did account for going away for a weekend as well.

"Then," Tony continued enthusiastically, "On Valentine's weekend, I make plans with someone else who I know would be understanding if I get called away. Suze, could work," he thought out loud, nodding his head. "She's a LEO, she'd understand."

Tim's jaw dropped open as he realized what Tony was saying, "You w-"

"Then, since I am just discovering the fact that we are on call now, less than nine days before the holiday and three days before this coming weekend, I'll make plans with someone else for the weekend _after_ Valentine's Day, citing the short time frame and being on call as the reason it is postponed," he concluded triumphantly.

Tim just stared at him in shock.

"I know," Tony smirked arrogantly, "Three Valentine's date. Sometimes I amaze myself."

Tim shook his head is disbelief; he couldn't wait to share this with Ziva.

"So, Probie, you know, since we are on call that weekend that gives you a perfect opportunity."

"For what?" McGee hesitantly asked, Tony couldn't already suspect the prank, could he? Tim didn't recall him or Ziva talking about last night's dinner, any of their future plans, or anything else that could've piqued Tony's curiosity.

"To go online to search for a new girlfriend," he stated. "If you meet up with her and she's… well, nothing like her profile or picture," he gave an exaggerated shudder, "You can just fake a call out. After all, she can't hold it against you if you needed to leave for work."

"But I didn't," he reminded the older man.

"Like she'll ever find out," Tony commented with a dismissive wave of his hand. "After all, if she was that bad, you wouldn't contact her again and if she tries to contact you, just tell her that you and one of your other matches hit it off."

"Tony, I'm not going to go into a date with an escape plan ready," an exasperated Tim declared.

"More fool you, then, McGee," Tony lamented as the two cleaned up their table and headed back to the yard. Tim making sure he had silverware in the bag along with Ziva's salad and dressing.

The drive back to work was filled with Tony expanding on his new Valentine plan, as he tried to figure out the best places to go, without risking them finding out about each other.

"Hey, Ziva, I brought you back a salad," Tony said as he entered the bullpen, Tim on his heels.

"Thank you, Timothy," she said fondly with a look at the younger man.

"Hey, I gave it to you," Tony argued.

"And I have no doubt that it was Tim that thought of me and ordered it, paid for it, and made sure I had all the supplies I would need," she replied.

"But I carried it in," he muttered.

"Then I thank you as well and hope it wasn't a strain on your old muscles."

Tim smirked and sat back down at his desk, ready to dig into another cold case file.

* * *

4-9-18

Hope you enjoyed it

Thank you to all who reviewed the previous chapter(s). I love hearing what you think

probably won't update for at least a week, going on vacation (again)


	9. Abby Intervention (J9)

Disclaimer still applies

Not Beta'd.

* * *

"What'd ya find out?" Tony asked as he entered Abby's lab later that day.

"About what?" Abby asked innocently.

"Hey, Abs, this is me, Tony" he reminded her, "I know you didn't go upstairs earlier today to ask Gibbs if you could borrow McGeek. It was just the quickest way you could get him alone after you heard about their private meeting."

"Trust me, Tony," she smirked, "If I wanted him alone, I wouldn't have to get Gibbs to arrange it for me"

He smirked in reply, "Thought that was ancient history."

She shrugged, "Our history has a habit of repeating itself," she admitted.

"Not sure I want to know about that," Tony shook his head. "But I do want to know what you learned about the conference."

"Nothing!" she exclaimed in frustration. "He didn't say a thing, wouldn't even stay in the lab with me to talk so I could wear him down, nor did he call Tech Support for me."

By her tone, Tony wasn't sure which she was more surprised at, him either for that matter. McGee was always willing to help when there was a technical issue. "He figured out what you were doing, didn't he?"

"Yes," she sulked. "It's like he's not my Timmy anymore."

"Past repeating itself aside, he hasn't been for a while," Tony gibed.

She glared, "He's become so distrustful and suspicious."

"Ya need to be to survive in the field," Tony reminded her.

"Yeah, but this," she said, arms indicating the room around them, "Isn't the field. So why doesn't he trust me anymore?"

Tony shrugged, "Have you given him reason not to?"

"Of course not!"

"Then maybe he's just having a bad day," Tony placated. "After all, he had a private conference with Gibbs. Even if he did initiate it, it probably wasn't fun."

"Yeah, that's true," Abby agreed, as she reached for the phone. "I'll call Gibbs and ask him to send Timmy down here again to help me. I should be able to get him to talk."

"Um, Abby, do you think that's the wisest course?"

"How else we gonna learn what happened? I take it you got nothing from him?"

Tony shrugged, "Not nothing, just not anything worthy," he answered. "I learned that it's not about Sarah, his book, or a medical condition."

"Still more than I got," she reluctantly admitted, "All I got was, 'it's personal and private, Abby,'" she replied in a deep voice meant to imitate Tim's. "He shut down the minute he realized what I was after."

"Exactly. And he'll still be that way now, especially after my talk with him," Tony explained.

"So how are we going to find out?"

"I have faith in you," he replied.

"But you said-"

"Not the wisest to get him back down here right now, today even," Tony explained his earlier words of caution. "He'll be expecting that. Give it a day or two, call him down when he thinks you've forgotten about it or," he added, "When you actually need the help."

"Hmm," she hummed as she pondered his advice.

"Even better would be if you talk to him _away_ from work. You're his best friend, right? Show him some care and concern and I have no doubt he'll spill everything."

"It has been a while since we hung out," Abby admitted, formulating a plan in her mind, as she thought of which concert Timmy could drive her to.

* * *

Tim worked furiously on his stack of cold case files hoping that one of them might give him a chance to leave so he could continue to avoid Abby. The forensic scientist had spent the first few hours after he left her lab calling him. When he refused to answer, but sent it straight to voicemail, she then started texting. Luckily, he had turned the volume off so no one else, especially Tony, could hear the constant ringing and pinging.

The day continued to be quiet after lunch with no new cases. After lunch, the afternoon passed in a similar way. Since he was avoiding her, every time the elevator chimed and the doors opened he kept expecting to see her heading towards him, making another one of her scenes.

Thankfully, it hadn't happened and Gibbs had finally given them the okay to leave and Tim found himself and Ziva in her car heading home.

"Pretty quiet day today," Ziva replied.

"Hmm."

"Surprisingly, Abby did not come up to the office again this afternoon."

"Hmm."

Ziva looked at her companion, head leaning against window, eyes vacantly looking out. "So, I think I might run away and join the circus, or perhaps the ballet, or maybe I'll move to Hollywood and become a movie star."

"Sounds good," Tim responded.

"Timothy, what is going on with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he insisted.

"Fine with me running away to join the circus, or the ballet or becoming a movie star, apparently," she replied.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I wasn't really listening."

"No, I apologize. It is okay," Ziva corrected. "You do not have to dangle on my every word."

Tim smiled, "Hang on your every word. And no, I don't, but common courtesy denotes that I at least listen."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. We did not have any opportunity to talk privately after you went to the lab or after lunch with Tony."

Tim shrugged, "As I suspected, both used the opportunity to try to discover what I discussed with Gibbs."

"Can you blame then?" she asked, "If I was not privy to that conversation, I too would be curious. After all, how often does one of us implore Gibbs for a private conference?"

"I don't know, but as I told Tony, if I ever need to do so again, I will make sure the request is done in private as well."

"I was going to ask if you wanted to do something tonight, but it looks like you are a bit preoccupied."

"I'm sorry, Ziva, it's just…" his voice trailed off since he wasn't sure how to express what he was thinking and feeling. He still hadn't decided if he was going to implement her plan. While he appreciated her wanting to help, he was worried that things would end up worse then they are now.

"I understand," Ziva nodded at him before pulling up in front of his apartment, "You do your thinking tonight. Tomorrow we can run together and you can let me know what you decide, okay?"

Tim nodded, somehow not surprised that she knew what was on his mind, "Okay."

* * *

4-19-19


	10. Change of Heart (J10)

Disclaimer still applies

Not Beta'd (though my cat has walked across the keyboard when I'm trying to edit, so that could count)

* * *

The next morning Tim was ready and waiting for Ziva in his apartment. As soon as she knocked, he checked the peephole before opening the door and admitting her to his apartment. Once Ziva removed her bag from her shoulder and placed it by his couch, the two humans and one dog left for their morning run.

Compared to yesterday's run, this one was quieter, the two only occasionally exchanging words in the companionable silence. As they finished their trip around the park and headed back, Tim commented, "You were right, running is better with a partner."

"Jethro is a great running companion," Ziva teased, "You must know this by now."

Tim snorted at her words, "He can be," he agreed, "But you know that is not what I meant."

"I do," she began, only to be interrupted by Tim.

"Now who's practicing those marriage vows?" he asked with a grin.

"It does take two," she teased, before returning to the original topic, "You are a great running mate as well," she added with a smile, causing a brief smile to be placed on Tim's face before he turned away in embarrassment.

"Even though we didn't really talk today, it was still better than running by myself...or with only Jethro for company," he commented. when Ziva smirked and looked towards his dog.

"I agree," Ziva stated.

"We really should do this more often," Tim added.

Ziva snorted, "This is the second time we have done it this week, how more often can we get?"

"I meant after this," he waved his hand between the two of them, "is finished, after my car is fixed, when everything goes back to normal, we should still run together on occasion."

"Sounds good to me," Ziva agreed, before directing Tim into the bathroom. "Now, we need to get dressed and then grab some breakfast on the drive in. I didn't bring anything with me today."

They followed the same bathroom routine as yesterday, and quickly exited the apartment to head to work. After some discussion, the two agreed to stop by a café close to the navy yard and grab a table there while they ate.

As they sat down, she looked at her partner, noticing the slight frown on his face. "Are you okay? You are awfully quiet."

"I'm fine, just thinking about everything."

"Change of mind?" Ziva asked, "Or perhaps change of heart is a more appropriate question?" she teased.

Tim shrugged, "We haven't really said anything to anyone other than Gibbs, it's not too late to change your mind."

"I won't change my mind," she promised, causing Tim to once more look away.

"What are you worried about?" she asked, getting straight to the issue.

"Gibbs."

Ziva frowned in confusion, "Why? He didn't seem upset by our plan."

"No, I know, but he thinks something might go wrong. He warned us about actions and consequences, remember?"

"Yes. But what could go wrong? Tony can't really get mad at us for playing a joke on him when he does it constantly to you."

"Again, Tim shrugged. "I just hope this doesn't make things worse."

"Everything will be fine," Ziva predicted with a smile.

"With Tony, maybe," Tim agreed, "But there could be more at stake here than just that relationship."

Once more Ziva frowned, wondering if he was thinking about Abby. "What do you mean?" she finally settled on asking.

Tim shrugged, "Just the whole team dynamics could change because of this. Tony could be upset with either one of us or both," he added. "If we pull this off as we planned, the rest of the office could be pulled into it, since we plan on having this start off as rumors, beginning with people noticing us together," he commented with a pointed look at the door.

Ziva turned around, and immediately noticed another agent entering the coffee shop, giving a quick nod in recognition, she turned back to Tim. "What else?"

Tim hesitated.

"Drop it, McGee," she commanded.

"Spill it," he corrected.

"Spill what?" she asked, looking at their coffees.

"The saying, it's spill it, not drop it," he said softly, smiling at her.

Ziva rolled her eyes, "Drop, spill, either way it can make a mess," she muttered.

"Exactly," Tim confirmed.

Ziva frowned, "Now you have lost me."

"Mess. This thing could end up as one big mess."

"Or it could be the exact opposite of a mess," she argued.

Tim snorted, "Neat and organized? Not when Tony's involved."

"Maybe that is the key," Ziva said, continuing before Tim could utter anything more than 'Huh?'. "I too have been thinking about what Gibbs' said."

"Oh?" a puzzled Tim queried, not just confused about her earlier statement, but also about the abrupt change in subject.

Ziva nodded, "Yes. He had a valid point. He said that we were in a relationship, fake or not, that is what it was. He is correct. I believe we need to think of this as a relationship, act as if it was real. Talk with each other when things bother us or if problems come up." When Tim opened his mouth, she continued, "If we need some time to sort out our own feelings and reactions, that is fine, we just need to communicate that part as well. And the other has to respect it," she added. "No avoidance of each other, in fact, we should try to be more open with each other, something I know neither one of us excels at. If we think of it as anything but a real relationship, or act like it is not, we will be more likely to mess it up, the plan and our friendship," she added.

"And the key?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Forget that Tony is involved. After all, if it _was_ a real relationship, we wouldn't do things for his benefit, so why should we do so now." When Tim opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, she nodded towards the door, "If we continue as we have been, morning runs, carpooling, breakfast, dinners, perhaps the occasional lunch during the week, activities on the weekends," she trailed off, letting him mentally add to the list, "Tony and others will talk about it. That is what we want, what we need. It has to be natural. Anything else would seem like a play, a performance. If we acted that way in front of Tony, but not anyone else, like Jimmy, Ducky, or other agents, Tony would hear about it the first time he shared his opinions."

Tim nodded, realizing that she was right in many ways.

"So, we treat this as a real relationship," he summed up.

"It is a real relationship," she stressed, "After all, I am real, and so are you, therefore the relationship is real as well."

"And we behave as we would in that situation," he continued.

"Even better," she clarified, "After all, we do not want to risk damaging our friendship, right?"

"Right," Tim concurred, glad that he wasn't the only one worried about their newly reinstated friendship.

"So we will be open, honest, and _real_ with one another," she stated. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Tim stated, though part of him wondering if they made things easier or harder on themselves.

* * *

5-2-18

This chapter started out much shorter (it almost doubled in size). I wasn't happy with it, which is why it took me so long to post, and then when I tried to save some of my edits last night, I must've lost the connection or something because I got an error message :( Luckily most of them were already saved or I remembered them. There was only one small part I couldn't completely recreate, but hopefully it still works. I would love to know what you guys think.


	11. Avoiding Abby (J11)

Standard disclaimer applies

not beta'd

* * *

Once again, the entire MCRT agents spent the morning on cold cases. Unfortunately for Tim, part of his time was also spent dodging contact with Abby. Since the start of the work day, his e-mail, computer, and cell phone had pinged, beeped, and chimed with messages from the forensic scientist demanding to know what was going on and why he talked to Gibbs privately.

"Everything okay there, McGee?" Gibbs asked, while glaring at the offending devices. "Maybe you should respond to those."

Tim sighed as he finally had all his electronic equipment silenced; he wished he had done it before Abby had started to contact him. How unrealistic of him to think that just because it was a new day that Abby would let what happen yesterday slide by. "Everthing's fine, and it isn't urgent. It can wait until I'm on break or off the clock."

"Good," Gibbs nodded as the team settled into a most silent routine, only the sound of rustling paper, tapping of keys, and those associated with drinking coffee were heard from his agents.

The renewed quietness of the bullpen was finally broken an hour later by a ringing phone, this time, not Timothy's. Even though he knew it was wrong, part of Tim really wished for a call out. It would keep Tony occupied and him out of Abby's grasp.

"Gibbs…yep…uh-huh…Okay, I'll see what I can do."

"McGee, Abby called looking for you. She needs your help again," Gibbs stated after he hung up his phone, not looking at the agent in question.

Tim froze, not sure how to proceed. He didn't want to tell on Abby, but neither did he want to be with her in the lab right now.

"Actually, Gibbs," Ziva injected, "I could use McGee's help on this cold case. I think I am on to something, but I am having a difficult time getting the computer to cooperate. I keep hitting a brick end."

"It's hitting a brick wall or a dead end, Ziva," Tony merrily corrected. "And I could help you."

"Really?" Ziva skeptically asked, "Weren't you the one who said you were to busy following leads on your own case to help me? Besides, I have no doubt Timothy could do it better than you," she smugly concluded.

Gibbs gaze alternated between the members of his team as he pondered this situation. Tim looked relieved at the possibility of not going back downstairs. It wasn't often Tim and Abby fought, and never before had it interfered with work. He decided to let them work it out, as long as the effects of the fight didn't linger. He did recall Ziva asking Tony for a few minutes of his time when he had a chance. Tony looked like he regretted blowing Ziva off earlier. Perhaps this was a good thing. "McGee, let Abby know that you are not available right now. Perhaps in a few hours, depending on what you and Ziva find. See if conference room three is available, that way you can discuss what Ziva needs in there without distracting DiNozzo from his pressing case."

"Yes, boss," Tim replied gratefully before helping Ziva gather the necessary files and heading to the conference room.

"Thank you," Ziva replied, as she followed Tim, Tony staring after them.

"DiNozzo, get back to work."

"Yes, boss."

Once secluded inside the conference room, Tim placed the folders on the table and turned to Ziva, enveloping her in a quick hug, "Thank you, Zee," he said honestly, before releasing her, "I really didn't want to be back in the lab with Abby."

"I suspected as much," she admitted. "I will admit that I am curious as to what happened down there between the two of you yesterday, but I will not ask. If you want to tell me, that is fine, but you have the right to your privacy, even or maybe, _especially_ because of our new relationship," she smiled.

Tim shrugged, "It wasn't anything _bad_ , she didn't really need me for anything, she just wanted to know what I talked to Gibbs about."

Ziva looked at him in shock. "She pulled you away from your work, to satisfy her curiosity? And then she tried to do it again today?"

Tim nodded. "At least that's what she wanted yesterday, I'm not sure about just now. She's been contacting me all morning asking me about yesterday, but now she might really need something."

"Hmm," Ziva hummed doubtfully. "Do you think she suspects something?"

"You mean about us?" McGee asked, shaking his head, "Nope, she's just butting into my personal and private life. She wondered why I wouldn't tell her since I told Gibbs, so it couldn't be that private. I told her it was personal and that as my direct supervisor, Gibbs needed to know, but no one else did. She was not happy with that."

Ziva frowned, an unhappy Abby could be a dangerous thing. Luckily, Ziva thought to herself with a smile, _she_ was dangerous all the time. Still, "Do you wish you had told her?" she asked softly, continuing when Tim looked at her in surprise, "Not about what we are doing, but rather, that she was playing this role. That she was the one helping you."

"No," Tim strongly denied. "She…I… there is no way we could've pulled this off. Abby and I," he clarified. "Just from the few minutes we were down in the lab together, I was already getting annoyed with her and that was before she started pressing me for information that she had no right to have."

"Oh," she said softly, wondering what had gone wrong between the two friends. She really hoped her and Tim's friendship didn't end up in a similar situation once April Fools Day passed.

"I" Tim began hesitantly.

"What?" Ziva asked, causing Tim to shake his head in reply.

"It's nothing, not important."

She looked at him, searching his face for a moment. "It is okay, you can say what you want," she informed him. "We agreed to treat this like a real relationship, right? Be open and honest with one another? That cannot happen if we do not talk."

Tim nodded, "It's just, well, we've talked a bit about me and Abby, and our previous romantic relationship these last few days," he said, not looking at Ziva, so he did not notice her tense or look towards the windows. "And, well, I was just curious about something,"

"Curious about what?" Ziva questioned, trying to keep her tone neutral.

"About you and Tony," he finally admitted, still not looking at her. "I mean," Tim continued when she remained silent, "I know," he said, scrunching up his nose in thought, "or think I know, that you two didn't, haven't dated, but, well, I guess I'm kinda wondering why not. From the beginning you two flirted with each other, so," he stopped awkwardly, letting the sentence go unfinished as he shrugged his shoulders.

Ziva looked at him in surprise, "Yes, we did flirt with one another in the beginning,"

"Still do," Tim injected.

"And still do on occasion," she admitted, "I cannot say why this is true on Tony's part," she stated, "But for me, flirting is considered a tool, a way to make others feel more comfortable, at ease, so that they might let something slip."

Tim frowned, "You never used that on me."

"No," she admitted, "With you, it would have the opposite effect. In many ways, it didn't have the desired effect on Tony either."

"Why not?" Tim asked, not sure if he was asking about himself or Tony, and hoping she wouldn't ask for that clarification.

"For you, because you don't take flirting lightly, especially while working or from someone you have a professional relationship with. It is just who you are. Tony," she said, with a shake of her head, "Tony flirts with every woman he meets and expects her to flirt back or to be totally taken in by it. If I didn't flirt with him it would make him think that I was hiding something, he would then be relentless in trying to discover that. At the beginning, I could not risk that happening. Of course, since he expected me to flirt back, it didn't have as much of an impact on him as it would on someone else. Basically," she concluded, "We were each playing a part, both suspecting the other one was as well, so neither took it seriously."

Tim nodded in understanding, as he remained silent for a few minutes as he thought about her words. "Are you sure about that?"

"About what?"

"That neither of you took it seriously? That there wasn't, isn't more to the flirting," he asked. "Because here it is, years later, and the two of you still flirt. In fact," he began, only to break off.

"What?"

He remained silent for a moment as he thought about what point he actually wanted to address. "There'sanofficepoolaboutwhenthetwoofyouwillfinallygettogether," he said in one breath.

"What about a pool?" Ziva asked in confusion, not understanding what he just said.

Taking a deep breath, Tim repeated, "There's an office pool about when the two of you will finally get together," he continued before she could speak, "Many people watching the two of you believe that you and Tony will, if you haven't already, 'hook up'. Odds are that it will be a serious relationship," he added.

She looked at him in surprise, "I…really?"

Tim solemnly nodded. "Is it possible? I mean, on your end at least? If it is, we don't have to continue with this. I mean, this," he said, waving his hand between the two of them, "could ruin things between all three of us, and especially if you feel something deeper for Tony, or think you could someday."

Ziva met and held his eyes. "No, it's not possible. Not on my end," she admitted.

Tim continued to look at her, before asking for more information, "Why not?"

She snorted, "Because even though he is older, in many ways, he is still a child. He is not looking for a permanent relationship, or thinking about the future, something I already told you I was interested in. And even if he was," she continued, when Tim opened his mouth, "Can you really see us in a relationship where one of us wouldn't kill the other? No, the only thing I feel towards him is annoyance, especially when he just goes on and on about movies. I have a hard enough time dealing with him while working, but if I had to put up with his incessant and insane chatter all day, I swear I would kill him."

"I thi-" Tim began before shaking his head and smiling.

"What?"

Tim paused, "I was going to say that I think you mean inane chatter, but realized, that insane works just as well, if not better when describing Tony."

Ziva smiled her agreement.

"So," Tim said a few moments later, "What do you need help with?"

Ziva grabbed the case folder and her notebook and pointed out some of the inconsistencies she noticed. Immediately Tim saw where she was heading with that and the two started to brainstorm various ways they could discover the five year old truths.

* * *

5-11-18 (posting from WDW)

hoping you enjoyed it

I know it might seem slow, but it is still only two days since they first talked about the plan


	12. Tony changes the plan (J12)

Standard disclaimer applies (In other words, I don't own anything and no profit is made from this)

Not Beta'd

* * *

After working diligently on the case in the conference room, Tim and Ziva returned to the bullpen, both following leads for Ziva's cold case.

"So, McSingle, any plans for Valentines Day this year?" Tony asked as soon as Gibbs was out of earshot.

Tim debated with himself for a moment if he should answer and begin Ziva's plan. Why not, he finally decided, a smile growing on his face, "As a matter of fact, yes."

"Really?" Tony asked skeptically with a laugh, "Is the circus in town?"

"I like the circus," Tim commented dryly, not taking the bait of how his date was probably a star in the circus's freak show.

"As do I," Ziva pitched in, smiling at Tim.

"So do four year olds," Tony said with a smirk and a roll of his eyes. Of course, his point was more that Tim's date was probably the bearded lady, but, eh, Tony thought with a shrug, jokes were often wasted on those two. "It's not exactly romantic."

"I do not know," Ziva debated with a mysterious smile, "Anything can be romantic with the right person." she concluded, before turning to McGee, "Timothy, the next time the circus is in town, we should go. I have not been in years."

"It's a date, Ziva," Tim nodded and smiled at her.

"And what do these plans consist of, Elf Lord?"

Tim smiled at the nickname, for some reason it didn't bother as much as it did before, he realized before he turned to Tony, "Actually I was thinking of cooking dinner for her at my place."

Tony met Tim's eyes, "Is it your first date with her?"

"Ye-no." Tim frowned, but will it be? He had joked that their dinner Monday night had been their first date, but it was unplanned. And yesterday, last night, they barely talked because he was so preoccupied. Could this be considered as their first date?

Tony gave him a knowing glance, "New relationship, right? Probably just friends before, so you've been out lots of time, but not one 'date', especially not a romantic one. One of you mentioned 'seeing what's there' between you and the two of you decided to give it a shot. You probably jumped immediately to Valentine's Day, wanting to make sure no one else got their first. So that is the only date you really have planned at this point, though you hope to have the opportunity to go out on at least one 'real date' before then."

"I…er," Tim hesitated, Ziva's words 'don't lie, just don't deny or confirm,' replayed in his head. "Um, something like that," he finally admitted.

"Okay, then, dinner at your place, _big_ mistake," Tony advised. "There are at least three major problems with that, four if she's really shallow. One, she'll either assume you forgot that it was Valentine's day or about the date and didn't think about reservations until it was too late, or that you figured you didn't have to do anything special. Or two, she'll think you brought her to your place just to get lucky with her."

"What! No!" Tim denied, blushing and unable to look at an amused Ziva.

"Really, Probie? You aren't hoping for those results on one of the most romantic nights of the year? You will probably be the only guy in DC on a date that isn't."

"I figured a romantic dinner at my place would be better than being in a crowded restaurant, buzzing with other's conversations. We can take our time, not feel rushed because they want the table for the next happy couple," Tim explained.

Ziva nodded, seeing his point, "Those are some valid points," she admitted to Tony.

The older man snickered, "Perhaps, but it still doesn't cancel out _my_ first two points. Trust me, those things will cross her mind at some point during the night."

"She wouldn't think like that," Tim remarked with a shake of his head, while Tony just rolled his eyes. "And the other reasons?"

Tony frowned, "They could be considered sub points of the third reason."

"Tony,"

"It probably won't impress her enough for another date," Tony admitted. "Nothing against your cooking, but trust me, Probie," Tony stated before explaining, "If she's really shallow, then the cost will be a deciding factor. Face it, even if you import Maine Lobster, or Rib eye steaks, even if the meal is caviar and champagne, she'll judge you that it was at your place and not an expensive, fancy restaurant."

"She's not like that," Tim protested.

"Good for you," Tony commented in sarcastic disbelief. "But then we have the next sub points. Between the clutter in your apartment, your interests, hobbies, and personality, this could be the end of any potential relationship with her."

Ziva opened her mouth to protest, "If she already knows him, then she'll-"

Tony held up a hand, indicating for her to stop talking. "Finally, it's not just that, but you'll be so focused on making sure everything is cooked right, that the table is set perfectly, that nothing ends up burnt or dry or whatever that you could most likely end up neglecting _her_. That's not what Valentine 's Day is about. Woman want to be pampered, showered in gifts and affection, not you leaving the table every five minutes to make sure dinner is coming along okay."

"I-" Tim paused, at a loss for words, "Okay, that last point might be valid."

Tony nodded, "I know you, Probie, you would want every thing to be perfect. You get that tunnel vision when you work on things, and while it's often good when we have a case, for dinner at your place on Valentine's Day?" he shook his head. "It's not a good combination to impress a lady.

"Now," he continued, "I suggest you try to get reservations for someplace nice and romantic. After all, you need to get out of the friend zone. Just dinner," Tony ordered, "I suggest you skip dessert at the restaurant."

Tim opened his mouth to protest.

"No, Probie, Trust me. After dinner, a nice walk, or if it's too cold, a museum or art show. _Then_ , return to your place for dessert, you'll have the private, non-rushed atmosphere you wanted, and won't be consumed with making sure everything is perfect."

Ziva lifted an eyebrow, a bit impressed, that wasn't a bad suggestion.

"I…yeah, I could do that," Tim muttered in agreement.

"And if you do it right, you'll score major points and _still_ get lucky."

Ziva shook her head, just when she thought there was more to Tony.

It was at that remark that Tim tuned him out, realizing that nothing else Tony had to say was worth hearing. He then mentally began to plan the perfect date or rather, non-date for him and Ziva.

* * *

5-18-18

Hope you all enjoyed it

Would love to know your thoughts...


	13. Everything but

Disclaimer still applies.

Not beta'd

* * *

"Change in call tree," Gibbs announced, handing the list out to his agents.

"Why?" Tony asked not even looking at the tree.

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow.

"Er, not that you need a reason, boss," Tony stated, "Was something wrong with the old tree?"

"Just did a bit of pruning," Gibbs smirked.

"Oh," Tony said, not sure what his boss meant until he looked down at the paper in his hand. "I no longer call Probie and Ziva?"

"Nope, you will call Ducky, if necessary, or make any other special arrangements that might be needed. I will contact Ziva or McGee, they will then contact the other. With McGee's car out of commission, and Ziva assisting in that regards, the two will need to coordinate. Since they need to converse anyway, to make arrangements, this seemed the best way to streamline the process." He paused for a moment, turning to the agents in question before continuing, "I know that seniority wise, I should call McGee, but since Ziva will need the extra time, to pick you up,"

"It's okay, boss, I understand," Tim stated, not letting his boss finish his sentence. He continued to nod his head in agreement to the plan.

"So this is only temporary?" Tony asked, "Until Probie's car is returned?"

"Everything is temporary."

"Right, boss," Tony agreed, not willing to get into a philosophical discussion with the older man, though he did noticed that he didn't really get an answer regarding what would happened when McGee's car was back in commission.

"Now, back to work," Gibbs stated before leaving the bullpen, most likely to inform Ducky about the restructured call tree.

"Hey, Ziva, McGee," Tony called, "You guys need any help on that cold case of yours?"

Ziva shook her head in response, "Nope, Tim is all I need," she replied, neither of them noticing Tim's reddening face due to her words.

"Ziva, I was thinking," Tim began, as he pointed out a few things on the file on her desk before Ziva began to nod and point at her computer screen. Tim seemed to agree with her before taking over her keyboard and bringing something else up on the screen. The two then began talking, not whispering, but not loud enough for anyone to hear more than the odd word or syllable. Tony watched wordlessly as his two fellow agents became immersed in their file, neither one noticing him or Gibbs watching them.

About an hour later, Gibbs gave them the signal to head home. It didn't take long for the agents to pack up and head home.

"You seem to be in a better mood tonight," Ziva commented as the two drove home that night.

"I am," Tim admitted. "Not quite sure why, but I feel good…happy."

Ziva smiled, "I'm glad. Do you want to grab something to eat?"

Tim opened his mouth then closed it again, not sure how to answer.

"Timothy, if you have plans or even just want to be alone, you _can_ say so. I promise I will not be offended. It is, after all," she smiled, "the early stages of our _relationship_ ; we are not expected to live in each other's shirt pocket, as you say."

Tim again opened and closed his mouth, this time deciding _not_ to say what first popped into his mind, "Back pockets, live in each other's back pockets," he corrected instead.

"Back pocket, shirt pocket, what is the difference? They are both pockets on pieces of clothing," she argued.

"True," Tim commented, "And it's not that I don't want to spend time with you, but rather that I don't want to spend time in a noisy, crowded restaurant, even if it's casual," he admitted. "I'd rather just head home and relax, spend time with Jethro, you know. Hey," he said, turning to her, "How about we pick up some take out and eat it at my place, that sounds like a perfect midweek activity."

Ziva thought about it for a moment before smiling, "You know, I think I would like that. I do not relax too much at my apartment; I always think of something that I should be doing."

After debating what to order, Tim finally called something in. The timing was perfect as it was ready moments after he entered the restaurant to pick it up. The drive home was torture as the enticing aroma of their dinner filled the car.

It wasn't long after that that the two found themselves inside Tim's apartment. He placed the food onto the dining room table before asking, "Er, do you mind if I go ahead and change? I'd rather not take Jethro out in my suit."

"No, no, that is fine, go get comfortable," she urged, causing him to smile in thanks as he retreated to his room.

"Okay, I'm gonna take Jethro out now, you can come with us if you like, or stay here where it is warmer," he announced once he returned.

She nodded as she stood up, "I will walk out with you."

He looked at he in shock, "You aren't leaving are you? You haven't eaten yet."

She laughed, "I wouldn't leave without eating, I can't wait to see what you ordered that smells so enticing," she admitted. "I'm just going to retrieve something from my car. The less time I spend up here alone, the better, otherwise I might eat all the food."

Tim smiled as he walked to his desk, opened a drawer, removed something then returned to his apartment door, where he then ushered Ziva out. After locking the door, he handed her the key, "Here," he said, "It's my spare key, you can keep it."

Ziva looked at him in surprise, "Are you sure?"

Tim shrugged, "Of course, or else I wouldn't have given it to you. I trust you with it. And this way, if I ever oversleep on our running days you can let yourself in."

Ziva gave a heartfelt reply as they walked downstairs. She headed to her car, retrieving her bag while Tim's dog led his owner to a tree a few feet away. Before long, she was back inside where she immediately headed to the bathroom.

She had only just exited that room and began looking around the apartment when Tim and Jethro returned.

"Did you eat it all?" Tim teased as he released Jethro and hung up his leash, before turning to look at her, "You changed."

Rather than wearing her nice slacks and blouse, Ziva was now wearing black lounge pants and an oversized t-shirt.

She smiled, "Why should you be the only one that is comfortable?" she teased. "It should help with the relaxing."

"Right," Tim said with a nod, "Let's eat," he said as he started taking containers out of the bag. After reading the writing on one of them, he set it aside, "That's for later," he said in response to Ziva's inquiring look.

"What is for now? I am starving."

"Patience," he challenged. "Good things come to those who wait."

"Actually I think the saying is, bad things come to those who make me wait," she returned, as she began to retrieve plates, silverware, and glasses and placed them on the table.

Tim paused for a moment, before stealing himself, hoping his words wouldn't be taken as a challenge, "Nope, never heard that one before. Think I was right."

Ziva smiled softly, glad that he was not upset at her comments. "Maybe so, but this better be worth it."

"It is," Tim supplied, "I mean, probably not as good as your breakfast the other morning, but good."

"Well it certainly smells great," she admitted, "We shall have to see if it meets my expectations," she continued before walking back into the kitchen. "What would you like to drink?"

Tim paused from serving the food as he tried to remember what he had available. "I think I have a bottle of wine," he informed her, before giving her directions on where to find it.

After pouring the wine, Ziva returned to the table. Tim smiled as he placed the plate in front of her. She looked at the plate before looking up at him in surprise, "This is-"

"I know," he interrupted, "But taste it."

"Okay," she said before picking up her fork. "Oh my," she exclaimed, "How did they do this?"

Tim smirked, "I know, right? I mean, it's just regular Italian food, it shouldn't be as good as it is, yet every single time, I swear it's better than I remember."

"What is it?" she asked, as she started poking through her plate.

"The dish is called the kitchen sink,"

"I," she paused looking down at her plate again, "That doesn't sound that appetizing."

Tim smiled, "Basically it has a little bit of everything in it. I got one with chicken, spaghetti, ravioli, penne, rotini, broccoli in an alfredo sauce. The other one is similar with meatballs, sausage, spaghetti, penne, rotini, and a traditional red sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese. The one that you have is the same as that one, but instead of the meat, it has eggplant. I wasn't sure how you felt about onions and peppers, so I didn't get those added in."

"And the other container?" She asked, looking at the one he set aside.

"Dessert, for later."

"I do not know if I will have room," she said as she added some of the alfredo and chicken entree to her plate.

After the two finished eating and cleaning up, they retreated to the small couch in Tim's living room, Jethro at their feet.

"So what would you normally do with a girl you brought back to your apartment?" Ziva asked as she casually looked around the room. Even though she had been here a few times already this week, it was mostly spent either talking about the plan or getting ready for work after their runs, both of which left little time to assess Tim's home.

"Um," Tim hesitated, blushing and refusing to make eye contact with her.

"McGee!" Ziva laughed, "It is okay, you can tell me. I promise I will not tell Tony, nor will I tease you like he does," she assured him.

Tim frowned at her words, not trusting himself to speak.

"It can't be that bad," she teased before he could comment. "Now tell me, what would you do if you brought a date you brought home? I imagine Tony would have a movie ready to play, but," she paused, looking around once more, "You do not even seem to have a television."

"It's in the bedroom," Tim blushed as he admitted that fact.

Ziva's eyebrow rose, "No that seems a very Tony-like thing," she teased. "Innocently suggest a movie and then lead a girl to your bed…room."

"Not much room in here with the couch and my writing desk," he explained, still not meeting her gaze.

She nodded before standing up and walking over to his typewriter and running a hand along the top. "I haven't seen anything new come out from Thom Gemcity in a while."

"If I had my choice, you wouldn't see anything," Tim muttered before shrugging and adding, "However, I am under contract to have one more book in the series, then I can be finished with it."

She frowned, "I thought you liked writing."

"I did, I do," he reluctantly admitted.

"What changed? Why are you so eager to give it up?"

Tim just looked at her, disbelief and anger flashing across his face before it disappeared; he then shrugged and looked away.

"Tim," she said softly, walking up behind him, "talk to me."

"It's hard to find joy in something that caused so much trouble," he finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" she asked, a puzzled frown gracing her face.

He snorted, finally answering a few moments later when Ziva remained silent. "If the way you guys reacted wasn't enough, we then had an insane serial killer who stole my manuscript and killed or kidnapped people trying to protect _MacGregor_."

Ziva faltered, "I…"

"It's okay," Tim said. "I'll finish this last book because the penalties if I don't are atrocious," he admitted, "Then I can forget all about Deep Six, and work on something else, perhaps something more along the line of fantasy writing, you know, something no one can mistake with reality."

"You shouldn't have to forget Deep Six," Ziva protested, "You should be proud of it."

"Proud?" he repeated incredulously, "That's quite a change from your original attitude."

"First, because they're good books. Second, it was a dream of yours. Sarah said that you have always wanted to be an author, and you have, a best-selling author in fact."

"It was a dream that turned into a nightmare," Tim retorted.

"Because of the delusional serial killer," Ziva stated knowingly, giving a firm nod.

"N-, yeah."

Ziva's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You were going to say no," she commented. "What else happened?" She asked, before understanding hit her a moment later. "Our reaction."

Tim shrugged, neither confirming nor denying her answer.

"It bothered you that much?"

Tim gave a cynical laugh, "How could it not? You guys were my _team_. You were suppose to have my back. The minute you guys heard about the first book, everything was different. And you guys didn't _talk_ to me about it, you _attacked_ me."

"We didn't attack you," Ziva protested.

"No? Who drove worse than Cruella De Vil escaping hell with me in the back of the truck?"

"I…I do not know who that is," she admitted, her tone curious before dismissing it. "And I may have let my emotions temporarily take over, but I apologized."

"No, you didn't," Tim corrected.

"I didn't?" she asked, watching Tim shake his head in response.

"You and Tony eventually eased on the harassment because of it, but you never apologized for your actions or talked to me about the book. Hell, at the time, I was pretty sure that neither of you had even read it."

"I…I am sorry," she stated. "We were wrong to treat you in such a way."

"It's in the past," Tim said with a shrug, "Besides, Rule 6," he finally concluded,

Ziva looked at him, meeting his eyes. She doubted that it truly was in the past but decided that this was not the time to pursue it. Giving Tim a slight nod, she stood up and refilled both of their wine glasses, then sat upon his couch once more.

Noticing Tim's stereo and record collection, she suggested, "Shall we listen to some music?"

Tim gave her a grateful smile at the change in topic and tuned the radio onto one of the classical music stations before he sat down next to Ziva.

He wasn't sure what to say. It was clear to him that both of them seemed uncomfortable. He had hoped the music could fill in the silence, but it only seemed to make the awkwardness more noticeable.

He couldn't believe that he had gotten so upset with her. First at her words regarding her saying anything to Tony or that she wouldn't tease him like the older man did. Luckily, Ziva talking had prevented him from saying what was on his mind. Second, regarding his writing, or rather, his published books. It surprised him to realize that something that happened so long ago can still make him so mad. He practically yelled at Ziva about it, something he did not want to do, especially since she was here because she was helping him out. Maybe he should offer her a way out again. Before he could say anything, Ziva began a conversation focused at first on the music they were listening to. That eventually led to a discussion regarding favorite type of music, songs, and artists, both current and previous and how their tastes had changed over the years, both of them once more relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Tim smiled, glad that they were able to get past the awkwardness and remember the friendship that had been there since almost the beginning.

It was about a half hour later that had Ziva asking, "Is it time for dessert yet?"

"I thought you said you wouldn't have room?"

"I should at least try it," she explained with a grin.

Tim smiled, "If you thought the main course was good, wait until you try their tiramisu and cannoli."

"I never knew you were such a fan of Italian food," Ziva commented. "Given your background and heritage, I would've expected something different."

Tim shrugged, "I'm just a fan of food, as was evident by my waistline a few years back," he admitted.

"There was nothing wrong with how you looked," Ziva argued, "then or now."

Tim raised a skeptical eyebrow and shrugged, "I wasn't in the best shape."

"You weren't fat, you met federal agent requirements."

"Barely," he commented dryly.

She frowned, "If that was true, you would have been put on a stricter diet and exercise regimen, since that did not happen, you were fine."

Tim just shrugged.

Ziva looked at him, deciding to broach a subject she had often wondered about, "What made you decide to get in better shape?"

"Nothing major happened. As you said, if I was that out of control, NCIS would've taken steps to get me on track. I just looked in the mirror one day and decided I didn't like what I saw, or the comments I heard so I set about changing it. I wanted to be healthy, to be the best agent I could be and part of that was being in better shape. I mean, I'll never be able to outrun Tony, beat you or Gibbs in sparring or combat training, but I could do better, _be_ better than I was."

She was silent for a few moments as Tim brought over the desserts, "That's actually pretty impressive. Not the fact that you didn't like what you saw in the mirror, because as I said, there was nothing wrong with you, but the fact that it was something you decided you wanted and that you made it happen," she said, shaking her head, "That takes a lot of willpower and determination. Not many people can do that, there are some who can't even do it to keep their jobs, get healthy, or to stay alive, yet you did because you set your mind to it and refused to fail."

"I wouldn't say that," Tim protested.

Ziva smirked, as she picked up a cannoli. " _You_ didn't, I did," she said, in a tone that indicated the conversation was finished.

* * *

5-27-18

The food they eat is based on a dish a local restaurant sells. It's actually really good.


	14. Knights vs Lords (J14)

Disclaimer applies; not beta'd

* * *

Because of the late evening the night before, Tim and Ziva agreed to skip running together on Thursday morning.

"Thanks for picking me up," Tim said as he entered her car that morning.

"McGee, Tim," Ziva began, "You do not have to thank me every morning."

Tim shrugged, "I just want to let you know that I appreciate it, that I don't take it or you," he added hastily, "for granted."

"Understood," Ziva stated "But I know you and am confident that you do not,"

"Still doesn't mean that it shouldn't be said," Tim commented softly. "You know, we never talked about the plan last night."

Ziva raised an eyebrow at the not so subtle diversion, but decided to go along with it, after all, it was something she noticed last evening when she returned home. "I noticed," she admitted.

"Tony asked about Valentine's Day and I told him I had plans,"

"I was there," Ziva reminded him.

"Oh, right," Tim stated, "We can still stop this, I have no doubt that he will believe me if I say she cancelled on me."

Ziva looked at him, "If you do that, there is no way the next two weeks will be quiet and peaceful. I am not just saying that for your ears," she stated, "Think of mine as well. _I_ will have to listen to Tony, and I fear that by the time Valentine's Day comes, I might be in jail after killing him with a paperclip."

Tim gave a slight chuckle, "If you haven't lost control yet, I don't think this would push you over the edge."

"Do you really want to risk it?"

Tim thought about it, "It would solve my problem with Tony," he admitted with a grin. "Do you think you could hold off killing him until my car is fixed?" he teased. "Then again, if you're in jail you won't need yours, so perhaps I could borrow it?"

Ziva's eyes narrowed at his teasing, "Only if you visit me in jail with some of that pasta, cannoli, and tiramisu," she stipulated, "Oh and bake me a cake with a file in it."

Tim frowned, "You know the cake in the file thing doesn't really work, right? There's no way a file could saw through those jail bars, especially without getting caught."

Ziva gave him an evil grin, "Who said it was for the bars?"

Tim made a show of visibly swallowing, "Ah, right then, do you want me to substitute paperclips for the file?"

"Probably not a good idea," she smirked, "It would give them more evidence that what happened to Tony wasn't an accident."

Tim shook his head, not having a reply to that one. "If you are sure," he stated, going back to the original topic.

"I am. I was sure Monday night when I made the offer, Tuesday when we discussed it, Wednesda-"

"Okay, I get it, you're sure."

Ziva frowned, "How come you are not?"

He shrugged, not having an answer.

"No," she stated, not letting him off that easily, "It is as if you do not trust me; do not trust me to _want_ to help. I do not like that you think you are not worthy of other's help. Why is it so hard to believe that I _want_ to help you? You are my friend, if there is something I could do to help you, I would. Just like you help others," Ziva shared.

Tim was silent for a few moments as he thought about her question. "I didn't have the easiest childhood," he finally admitted.

"Bullied at school?"

Tim shrugged, "A bit, but mostly just teasing, nothing too bad. Since I was a couple years younger than everyone else, the teachers tried to keep an eye on me. If I showed up with bruises or cuts or homework undone, they knew it wasn't my fault. No, the part about trusting stems from people showing me that I couldn't trust them. Telling me one thing, but doing another. Pretending to be my friend, then breaking into my computer to steal and copy my work or to pass a class or test, then either forgetting about me right after or showing that they were never really my friend. I came to be a bit cynical due to that, figured it was better to be on my own than with people who were just using me and dropping me. To this day, I don't have a lot of close friends, kinda developed into a loner," he said, shooting her a grin. "Kept myself separate, didn't share much of my private life, it's hard to get close to people when you're like that."

Ziva gave him a bittersweet smile, before turning her gaze back to the road. "That I understand only too well, my friend. From a young age I trained with Mossad. I was trained as a warrior, an assassin, a spy," she explained, not looking at him. "Having emotions was dangerous, showing them, fatal. I learned to keep them hidden, to ignore them, to base my decisions on logic and fact and what was best for Israel, for Mossad, for the team and the mission."

Tim's face shifted into a half smile, "I never could hide my emotions. Still can't," he admitted, not that that was a surprise to Ziva or anyone who knew Tim. "What I did hide was _me_ , my thoughts, ideas, opinions, likes, dislikes, things of that nature. I didn't give casual acquaintances a chance to get to know me, and the ones I took the risk with," he shrugged, "Well, it turns out it wasn't worth the risk. Pretty much all of them decided _I_ wasn't worth knowing or spending time with. Made me doubt that anyone would like the _real me,_ so I was determined not to let him out," he admitted, grateful that she was driving since not only it prevented him from meeting her gaze, but it also made her unable to look at him while he made his confession. "It's kind of why I got into gaming," he explained. "It involved computers, which I had come to love; kept me out of trouble, occupied my down time, gave me a social circle, even if I normally didn't meet them face to face, and was something to talk about if I did go out."

Ziva nodded. "We are an interesting pair, you kept your emotions, but hid everything else, I hid my emotions, but have no trouble speaking my mind and sharing my ideas and opinions."

Tim nodded in agreement as the two fell silent, both having a lot to think about.

"I was wondering if you could answer a question for me?" Ziva asked.

"I will do my best," he responded.

"Why Elf Lord?"

At first he was surprised at what seemed to be a change in conversational topics. Then he was disappointed. Tim gave a small sigh, he had hoped that the plan would help them to learn and understand one another better, deepening their friendship, not allow them to use it to tease each other.

"Tim?"

He just shrugged, "Why not?"

"No, I'm serious," Ziva responded, casting a quick look at him. "I admit I don't know much about Elves, but Lords," she shrugged. "In some ways, Tony seems more the lord type to me, you seem more like a-"

"Geek," Tim supplied.

"That is not what I was going to say," she stated with a frown, "Though if I were to be honest, yes, you do have some of that aura around you, but," she stressed when Tim seemed to deflate, "That is not all you are."

"Uh-huh, right," he stated doubtfully.

"It is true," Ziva insisted. "If we are talking of lords, ladies and the like from that time period, I would put you as a knight."

"A knight?" Tim snorted skeptically. "At least you didn't say jester," he muttered, so quietly Ziva couldn't make out his words.

"Yes, a knight. A knight is someone who _earned_ their position and title, while a Lord often inherited it."

"A knight doesn't have any real power," Tim protested.

"Maybe not," she agreed, "It is an honorary title bestowed upon someone who is worthy. Often a warrior," she added pointedly. "It is synonymous with chivalry, trust, honor, and loyalty to name a few."

"It can also be thought of as a servant."

"Perhaps," Ziva admitted, before adding, "In the 'I live to serve you' way," she smirked. "You know that a knight would do all he possibly could to accomplish his mission, you could _trust_ him to do the right thing, with honor and dignity. A knight was someone worthy of respect."

"And you think that's me?" He asked skeptically.

"I do."

Truthfully, he didn't see that. Deciding to take the easy road out, Tim smirked, "Again with those marriage vows," he teased.

Ziva smiled with him, but suspecting what he was attempting, refused to be completely distracted, "Any woman would be honored to marry a knight."

"Wouldn't she rather marry a Lord and gain a title?"

"Pfft," Ziva replied dismissively, "Lords are often spoiled, incompetent men who have lived a privileged or sheltered life, never working for or earning anything that they have."

"Wow," Tim said in shock, staring at her, "And you said Tony reminds you of a Lord?"

"I…the spoiled, privileged part, yes, at times," Ziva admitted. "He is more like a Lord who was disinherited and had to find his own way. Which he did. He has worked hard to get where he is and he has earned it, yet at times, the spoiled Lord shines through.

"A knight on the other hand," she began, giving him a pointed look, "doesn't take anything for granite, is a true Cavalier; and lives his life with honor, truly helping and caring for those around him."

Tim fell silent as he pondered her words and debated whether or not to answer her original question. To let her see a bit of the real him.

Ziva remained silent, letting him remain in his thoughts. She could only hope that he would trust her enough to satisfy her curiosity.

"I wasn't really focusing on Lord," he sheepishly admitted, after several minutes of silence. "Like most geeks, I enjoy the fantasy genre of books and movies. Of all the historical and mythical beings, elves had always fascinated me. Humanlike in appearance and manner; magical, powerful, helpful, yet mischievous," he concluded with a shrug, sheepishly adding, "Fun. Elves are portrayed in many different ways, but were often in connection with magical, powerful beings, worthy of respect, someone you wouldn't want to slight or even attempt to take advantage of. They could do almost anything, and have fun while doing it. So there was no doubt in my mind what I would be using as my calling," he explained. "After that it was just a matter of making it stand out. Many use an adjective to establish their identity, 'Mystical King, Blue Knight, Green Magician, Sparkly Vampire, Divine Mistress'," he snorted as he remembered some of the identities he saw. "I know I didn't want a color or anything like that, and I didn't want to simply be known as 'The Elf'. I wanted something more descriptive; a designation of some kind seemed the best way to go. The title of Lord added to the image of power, King gave the image of well, of an old, dying has been, and Prince," Tim shrugged, "Well, to me, that corresponded with spoiled. I never thought of a knight."

"I see," Ziva answered, "I stand by what I said, _you_ are a knight. Epitome of the word, I would say." She paused as she looked at him quickly, "Do you have any objections if I refer to you as such?"

Tim was silent as he thought about her request. He was honored that she thought such kind things about him, although that could change once she got to know him. "Elf Knight just doesn't sound the same," Tim finally said.

"Sir Elf?" she offered.

Tim shook his head and crinkled his nose, "Besides, if I wasn't an Elf _Lord_ , you couldn't be my Elf Lady for the next two months," he concluded with a grin.

"I will just have to refer to you as My Knightly Elf Lord then," Ziva smirked.

"As you wish, My Elf Lady," Tim replied with a laugh. He didn't think it sounded all that impressive out loud, but if it made her happy, who was he to stop her or stand in her way?

* * *

Wanting you guys to see a bit of what Tim is feeling/thinking; How he and Ziva are opening up to one another; Building a basis for their growing friendship/relationship

5-31-18


	15. Go Away (J15)

The day had passed quickly, with Tim and Ziva still working together on her cold case. They had made remarkable progress and had high hopes of closing the case by the end of the week.

"I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to this weekend off," Tim stated quietly. Once more, they found themselves relaxing after work in Tim's living room. "I mean, it would've been nice if we were off next weekend, since I really hope our Valentine Day plans aren't cancelled or interrupted, I just mean that it's good to get away from work."

"We should do that," Ziva said softly.

"Do what?"

"Get away, go away," Ziva responded. "You mentioned Tony's plans to go away, especially since we are on call next weekend. I think he might have a good idea. Spending time together over the weekend, especially on a trip away would be an excellent way to get to know one another better."

"I…yeah, it would," Tim reluctantly admitted. "But, if you're starting to agree with Tony, something is really wrong."

"Hush, you, I'm talking about Valentine's Day," Ziva retorted. "As you noted, we are on call that day. It is very possible that our plans will be disrupted or changed because of that fact. If you really wanted to impress this girl, you would not solely rely on a date that might not happen because of work."

"Yeah," Tim repeated. "I can see that. Most women aren't understanding when plans are changed at the last minute, let alone if they had to be completely cancelled. That would be especially true if it involved a special occasion like Valentine's Day or their birthday. If something like that happened next week, she probably wouldn't return my phone calls, let alone give me another chance."

Ziva nodded in agreement, that was exactly her point. "So, where should we go this weekend?"

"Go? This weekend?" a puzzled Tim repeated.

"Well, it would be the ideal time to go away. This should not be an ordinary date, nor can it be something _better_ than your plans for next weekend. It does, however, need to show her your commitment to her and the relationship."

"I see," Tim replied, not sure if understood what constituted better than a regular date, but not as special as next week.

Ziva gave a soft chuckle as she watched his facial expressions change.

"But wouldn't it be too soon to go away? I mean, technically we, er," he paused, "Not you and me, but, you know, this girl and I haven't even gone on an official date yet and Tony knows that."

"Yes, but he also knows that you have known her, have been friends with her for a while, it would not be that strange. Maybe something that could help 'you and that girl' get to know one another better? Something from the past? A place or activity that has special meaning to us that we can share with the other?" she suggested. "Or perhaps something that we have wanted to do or see but have not had the time for? That might make it more realistic."

"I, yeah, I can see that," Tim softly agreed.

"If you do not want to…I mean, if you have plans," Ziva began.

"No, no it's not that. I do," Tim admitted, both of them smiling at the phrase. "Want to go, that is. Just feeling like, well, I'm wondering if I'm forgetting something." He pulled out his phone and opened up his calendar app.

"Are you sure? I imagine that you have not had much opportunity to write lately, perhaps a quiet weekend at home is what you seek."

"No, I'm up for a weekend away if you are," he declared, "I don't have anything on my calendar, and without my car, it's not like I could do much, so I should be free." He said with a frown, still feeling like he was forgetting something.

"Good," Ziva nodded as if it was all decided. "Now we just need to think about where we should go?"

Tim nodded as he noticed the time on his phone, "It's getting late," he observed, "How about we both think about places and we discuss them tomorrow?" Tim's suggestion had Ziva nodding in agreement.

* * *

Friday morning, Tim was outside with Jethro waiting for Ziva to arrive for their run. It wasn't long before she pulled up, exited and locked her car, and joined him, after giving a warm greeting to Jethro.

Tim shook his head at her antics before giving a tug on the dog's leash and beginning the walk to the park.

"Are we still on for this weekend?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Yes, though I really feel like I'm forgetting something," he repeated. "I can't think what though. I wouldn't have made plans when I didn't even have a car, so I'm probably just confusing this weekend with a different one."

Ziva nodded in understanding. "I started packing a small bag just in case," she shared.

Tim nodded, "I plan on talking to my neighbors about looking after Jethro. They're usually pretty good about that, even last minute, when we have cases."

"Can you blame them?" she teased, "He's a great dog and a wonderful running companion."

Tim just shook his head in amusement as they entered the park and began their run. Sometimes it amazed him how much Ziva had taken to the dog, and vice versa.

After completing their run, the two once began what had now become a familiar routine as they prepared for work. Once in the car, Tim brought up the subject of their weekend again.

"Have you thought of any places to go?" he asked her.

"Not really," she shook her head. "Most of the places that are special to me, that I would want to share with you, with someone I was dating are too far away for a weekend trip. How about you?"

Tim frowned, "At first I thought of Boston. It's close enough for a weekend trip, but there are a few drawbacks. It's cold there, often colder than it is here in DC. Making last minute plans would also be challenging since I'm not sure what's available. I also haven't checked the weather forecast for that area. Gibbs would kill us if got stuck there because of snow."

"But it could be fun. You lived there for a few years, correct?"

"I went to college up there," Tim admitted.

"Perhaps that would be a good trip to take next month, when there is more time to plan it out, and the weather might be warmer."

"Perhaps," Tim agreed, wondering if there really would be another trip.

"We will definitely need to think about it some more, especially since we still need to make plans, not just a hotel, but flights."

Tim groaned, "Now I understand why Tony was talking about staying somewhat local."

Ziva frowned, "Why? Do you not like to fly? Is it the phobia?"

"No, I was just wondering how can we make flight reservations when we have no idea what time we are going to be able to leave work tonight. If we get a case, we could be there most of the night. Plus we still have to finish packing."

"Well, then, let us hope that today goes silky," Ziva offered, confusing Tim for a moment.

"Smoothly," he corrected, "I believe you mean everything goes smoothly."

Ziva scrunched up her nose, "Darn it, I almost had that one," she muttered, continuing when Tim opened his mouth. "I almost said smoothie, but I _knew_ that wasn't right, since that is a fruity breakfast concoction, so I guessed."

Tim smiled at her ramblings.

"And now I want a smoothie," she concluded, causing Tim to laugh out loud before offering to buy her one.

* * *

Standard disclaimer applies; not beta'd; yada, yada, yada...

6-8-18


	16. Another Conference? (J16)

After entering the squad room, Tim and Ziva separated, each reporting to their own desks to check emails or voicemails that might have arrived during the night. Within minutes of their arrival, Gibbs reentered the bullpen, "McGee, with me," he ordered as he approached the elevator.

With a shrug at Ziva's inquisitive look, Tim got up and retraced his footsteps, entering the metal box behind his boss.

"Yes, boss?" he asked once the doors closed and Gibbs had stopped the car.

"Everything okay?"

Tim frowned in confusion, "Everything's fine, boss."

"You and Ziva?"

Tim nodded and gave a slight smile, realizing that his boss was probably concerned about their plan. "Good. We're getting along well, working together well too, as you've probably noticed regarding this cold case. Surprisingly, things aren't awkward between us at all," Tim sheepishly admitted. "Actually, it feels, well, it feels kinda right, natural," he continued, slightly embarrassed, not just at how he felt, but that he shared it with their boss. "Between the drives in and home each night, running and then breakfast together most mornings, dinners together at night, plus work, I'm actually surprised we haven't gotten sick of each other's company yet or run out of things to say."

Gibbs turned away to hide a slight smile. He noticed that the two seemed more at ease and open with each other, something that was benefitting the team, and, as Tim pointed out, at least one cold case.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing he needed an update on.

"And you and Abby?"

Tim froze, not wanting to discuss the girl who could do no wrong with her protector.

"There is no me and Abby," Tim stated, trying to brush off the question.

"McGee," the older man said, meeting his gaze, letting him know that they weren't moving until the SSA got a satisfactory answer.

"Same," Tim replied truthfully. He felt the same way about the Goth scientist that he had for awhile now.

Gibbs nodded, acknowledging the truth of that answer, as well as the fact that he left a lot unsaid. "You've been avoiding her since Tuesday when she asked for your help."

Tim snorted and looked away.

"McGee."

"Look, boss, I…I don't know what you want to hear," Tim quietly admitted.

"The truth."

Tim snorted again. Surprisingly, part of him wished Tony was here to quote 'you can't handle the truth', or whatever the actual movie line was. It took most of Tim's willpower to hold his tongue and not say it himself.

Gibbs eyes narrowed as he watched the emotions flitter across the face of the agent in front of him. "I don't like it when my team is hiding things from me or isn't getting along. This needs to be fixed."

"Technically, Ziva, Tony, and I are your team. Ducky, Jimmy, and Abby are auxiliary personnel who aren't part of anyone's team, but there to help and assist everyone equally, when and if their skills and expertise is needed," Tim stated firmly, as if quoting an NCIS handbook. "And who says something is broken? Has our work suffered any?"

Gibbs frowned, wondering why Tim was pushing back on this issue, "Abby's might have since you refused to help her this week."

"Abby has been offered an assistant numerous times, something that _she_ has refused. If she is indeed falling behind, maybe that needs to be addressed again," Tim stated matter of factly. "And I know that one might not be available immediately, so did she tell you what she needed me for?"

"No, but she knows I don't understand that techno babble stuff."

"But you understand scuttlebutt," Tim retorted.

"What?"

Tim sighed as he decided to be honest with the older man and deal with any consequences that might come from it. "She didn't need my help on Tuesday. She brought me downstairs to her lab to find out why I needed to talk with you privately. She hoped to corner me in the lab, pestering me until I gave in. She tried to contact me all afternoon to get me to talk to her," Tim admitted, before adding, " _That's_ why I've been avoiding her all week."

"That's why?" Gibbs asked in astonishment.

Tim frowned, not sure if Gibbs was trying to confirm Abby's reason in asking for help, or Tim's for avoiding her. Either way, the answer was the same, so it wasn't worth clarifying, "Yes." Then again, perhaps the older man was questioning the honesty and accuracy of Tim's information.

"Hmm," the older man responded, eyes still narrowed.

"All those calls, texts, and emails on Wednesday morning were from her, again asking me about that meeting. It wasn't long after I turned my devices to silent that she rang you," he explained. "Now, perhaps she legitimately needed my help, perhaps not, but _you_ decided that Ziva's possible lead on a cold case came first, and well, it looks like we might be able to close that case this week."

Tim shrugged, not caring how Gibbs felt about this conversation, "I can and will work with her when a case needs it and she legitimately needs my help, but I'm not going down there to be interrogated by something she has no need or right to know. My private and personal life is none of her business, it is not my problem that she cannot understand or accept that."

Gibbs nodded again, now all that was left was the last piece, "And Tony?"

Tim snorted, "Tony has _never_ understood that. The more I try to keep things private or tell him to butt out, the more annoying and persistent he gets, not to mention devious."

"And will you be able to work with him?"

"I have for this long," Tim admitted, nodding his head, "And as long as things don't escalate, I can handle it."

Gibbs nodded before meeting Tim's gaze once more, "You come to me before you do anything, got it?"

Not sure what he meant, Tim just stared at him.

"Before you speak to the director, or HR, or retaliate against him in anyway."

Tim's eyes hardened as they narrowed guardedly, before nodding his agreement to the older man's orders. He wasn't sure why he was so shocked at the lengths Gibbs would go to to protect Tony.

"Same if things get out of control with Abby," Gibbs added.

Now that didn't surprise Tim at all, he thought as he nodded again in agreement and restarted the elevator, exiting as soon as the doors opened.

* * *

"Good morning," Tony called as he entered the bullpen, only to see Ziva alone at her desk. "No McRideshare today? Is his car finally fixed?"

Ziva shook her head, "Not yet, apparently they are having difficulty obtaining a part."

"So where is he?"

"Conference with Gibbs," Ziva explained, not looking up.

"The sequel," Tony cackled, "Room 3 again?"

"Elevator," she corrected with a shake of her head.

"Any idea what this one's about?" Tony asked as he powered up his computer.

"Nope."

He eyed her appraisingly, "You've been spending a lot of time with McGeek lately," he observed. When Ziva remained silent, he continued, "The long drive in, the often longer drive home. You've had dinner together, what? Two or three times this week?"

"Yes, no, it was a few times" Ziva admitted, remembering that one of those time was suppose to be Tim with his potential girlfriend.

"Well, which is it?"

"Does it matter?"

"What about his _Friend_?" Tony asked, emphasizing the last word.

"What about her?"

"Did you get a chance to meet her? Did you see her? Was she waiting for him outside his apartment when you dropped him off the other night?"

"No," she answered to the last question, knowing Tony would interpret it as the answer to all three.

"Damn," he hissed, "I really wanted to get a description of her from you," he explained disappointingly, turning to go to his desk.

"Tony, there is something I wish to ask you," Ziva began, her words causing the older agent to stop and look at her.

"Oh, really, now?" Tony smirked, seating himself on the edge of her desk.

"Yes. Who is Cruella DeVil? Is she a famous race car driver?"

Her question had Tony jumping up from her desk, as he can only imagine why she was asking. "Ah, not exactly."

"Then who?"

"She is a villain in a movie," Tony supplied, making sure not to meet Ziva's eyes.

"And her driving?"

"Ah, well, notoriously bad," he answered, carefully backing away to his own desk.

"What movie?" she hissed, glaring at him.

Tony answered just as the elevator doors opened.

Ziva nodded, but remained silent, however, watching as a conflicted and preoccupied Tim walked silently past her desk.

* * *

Standard disclaimer still applies; not beta'd

So Ziva asked about Cruella, what will she do with that information?

Hope you all enjoyed it.

6-12-18


	17. Forgotten, trust (J17)

Do not own NCIS or any of the characters; Not beta'd

* * *

Forgotten

"I am curious," Ziva began, casting a sideways glance at Tim.

"Great trait for an investigator," Tim stated, "At least, that's how Tony defends his nosiness."

Ziva fell silent at his words.

"Ziva?" he questioned.

"I do not mean to be nosy."

"You're forgiven, especially since I do not know what you are curious or nosy about," he grinned.

She nodded, "I will understand if you choose not to answer."

"Okay, now you have me curious."

"This morning's conference with Gibbs,"

"Ah," Tim replied, turning away.

"I could tell that you were…agitated when you returned to the bullpen."

Tim shrugged, "I wasn't surprised by it. Well, I was because I wasn't expecting it, but once it happened, it was pretty much as I would expect such talks to go."

Ziva looked at him curiously.

"He asked for status update regarding us; then me and Abby; then me and Tony. I told him what Abby wanted earlier this week, that she didn't need any help, but was using that as an excuse to get me to tell her what I talked to Gibbs about; that she wouldn't stay out of my personal and private life. I also mentioned that Tony was the same." Tim paused, "He was surprised about Abby, I'm not sure whether or not he was surprised about Tony," he admitted, still unable to figure Gibbs out.

"I am glad you were able to tell Gibbs the truth about Abby," Ziva admitted. "It seems to me that many times you let her get away with how she treats you," she continued. "What went as you expected?"

Tim smiled slightly at her comment, before answering the question she asked, "His warning."

She frowned as the thought about what warning Gibbs could have given him, "About actions having consequences?"

"No, to come to him before I either retaliate against Tony and Abby or talk to the Director about it."

Ziva fell silent as she thought about his words. "So he can help you work things out?" she finally asked.

Tim shook his head, when he finally spoke, his voice was filled with pain, "No, I don't think so," he replied before turning away from her.

Ziva watched his silhouette as he stared blankly out the window. Now was not the time to get into a discussion about rule 8, though she did make a note of it in her phone as another topic to revisit. She let him have a few minutes to gather his thoughts and emotions back under control.

"Speaking of curious, Tony is curious about your potential girlfriend as he calls her."

"As I said, Tony is curious, _nosy_ about everything," Tim drawled sarcastically, "I'd be more surprised if he wasn't curious."

Maybe this wasn't the best change of subject, Ziva thought, striving to keep things light. "He has also noticed that we have spent a lot of time together, dinners, the rides, working the cold case. He asked me if I knew anything about her or if I saw her. He was hoping I could provide him with a description of her."

A ghost of a smile made its way across his face, "And how would you describe her?" he teasingly asked.

She smirked, "I would play into his fears and tell Tony that to me, she seemed to be a very dangerous woman, someone to keep an eye on."

Tim snorted, "You know that he probably wouldn't believe that. No doubt he pictures me with someone innocent and wholesome, straight off of a farm from Iowa."

"I do not believe I have ever been to Iowa, and definitely not on a farm there," Ziva laughed before once more changing the subject, hopefully to a happier topic, "Did you think of anyplace for us to go this weekend?"

"Iowa?" Tim suggested, causing them both to laugh.

"You could tell Tony that you went to meet her family," Ziva smirked, "Though, I would have to say that while it might not be too soon for the two of you to go away together, I think it is probably too early to really meet the family," she teased.

"Damn it," Tim muttered, "That's what I forgot." Tim pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text message, receiving a response almost immediately.

"What? What is wrong?"

"Family," Tim explained, waving his phone. "I can't believe I forgot that I'm supposed to be driving home with Sarah tomorrow to see Penny."

"Penny?"

"My grandmother," Tim explained. "She recently returned home and since the team wasn't on call this weekend, we made plans to see her. With my car out of commission, I cancelled. I totally forgot that Sarah said she would see about borrowing a friend's car, I hadn't heard from her, so I completely forgot about it until you mentioned family. I would put it off for a few weeks," he explained, "But with Penny's crazy schedule, we never know when she's going to be back in the country, so we try to meet up when we can."

"It is okay, Timothy, I understand. Family is important."

Tim expressed his thanks for her understanding, before asking, "We could always do something special tonight," he offered. "Not as special as next week, of course, but more so than a regular date," he teased.

"I would like that," Ziva returned his smile.

"So would I," Tim agreed. "Now we just have to decide what that would be."

"First thing we need to do is close this case," Ziva said, pointing to the man leaving the building.

"Let's do this," Tim grinned as they both exited the vehicle to make the arrest.

* * *

In between putting together the finishing touches for a seal-tight case, Tim had worked on plans for tonight's date. The only information he communicated to Ziva was that he had something in mind and would take care of all the plans. He still couldn't believe that he had forgotten about the plans with Sarah and Penny. He also felt bad that he had to cancel on Ziva for the weekend. Obviously she was looking forward to it if she had already started packing.

Currently, they were in the bullpen, working on their reports regarding this week's investigation of the case.

"Tim, Ziva, good job on that cold case. Once your reports are completed and I've approved them, you can leave," Gibbs ordered as he returned to his desk, a fresh cup of coffee in hand.

Tim and Ziva exchanged looks, this would make their weekend plans much easier to handle. "Really, boss?"

"Do I normally joke about such things?"

"Er, no, thanks boss," Tim said before continuing with his report.

"What about me?" Tony asked.

"You can leave as soon as you close a cold case and complete the reports as well," Gibbs added, causing Tim and Ziva to snicker.

"But...I…" Tony stuttered.

"Continue working on those files," Gibbs ordered, "You can leave at the end of the day."

"Fine," Tony pouted, grabbing another case to review.

The bullpen went silent after that, each agent working to finish their assigned task. Within an hour both Tim and Ziva had their reports done, turned in, and approved and were picking up their bags to head out.

"Have a good night," Gibbs smirked, as Tim walked past him, making him do a double take. Why did it seem like Gibbs knew more than he should, he thought before shaking his head and catching up to Ziva who was holding the elevator for them.

Tony just stared after them longingly, even after the elevator had whisked them downstairs.

"I meant to say this earlier, but I'm glad you really needed my help on that case, and that you asked" Timothy admitted, once the elevator doors closed, "and not just because it kept me out of Abby's clutches these last few days or because we were able to close it today."

"Oh? Then why are you glad?"

Tim smiled, "Working with you like this has been great. It's been a long time since I really felt like part of a team, working with others to get things done."

Ziva stared after him in shock as he left the elevator.

Tim finally noticed that Ziva was no longer walking next to him and turned around to find her, "Ziva, you coming?"

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she stepped off of the elevator and pulled out her phone, making a note to follow up on this conversation with him as well. She really did not like the sound of that. "Yes, just remembered something and wanted to make a note of it before I forgot it again."

"Ah, I understand," he said as they headed towards her car.

After entering her car and buckling up, Ziva asked, "And you will not tell me where we are going tonight?"

"Nope," Tim grinned, "And I'm glad that Gibbs let us out early, I was afraid we wouldn't have enough time."

"Time for what?" Ziva fished for answers.

"Uh-uh," Tim said, wagging a finger at her in warning as they entered her car. "Just drop me off at my place, then head home to get ready. I strongly suggest a dressy outfit," he added, "Not necessarily formal, but definitely not casual."

Ziva sighed, "I would know exactly what to wear if you would just tell me where we are going," she complained.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" Tim repeated seriously.

"Yes, of course, you know that."

Tim shook his head, "Not just to have your back in the field, but that I wouldn't lead you astray or make plans that I do not think you would enjoy. I made these plans with you in mind, and while we could've attended straight from work in those clothes, since we have several hours, I thought we should take advantage of them and dress for the occasion, so to speak. After all, this is a mini-Valentine's celebration in case next week's date gets interrupted."

"I…yes," Ziva answered his original question again. "You are right, and I do trust you," she reluctantly agreed.

Noticing her tone of voice, Tim stated softly, not looking in her direction, "If you really want to know, I will tell you."

Ziva sighed; it was clear how much this surprise meant to Tim, was she really going to ruin it by making him tell her? "No, I am sorry. I just do not do well with surprises."

"Something to work on," Tim said giving her a smile, "I like surprising the one I'm involved with," he admitted. "Whether it be with a gift or an evening out. It's my way of showing I care, that I was thinking of them."

"I understand," Ziva said softly, "and I will try to be more accepting of them."

"Good," Tim nodded in satisfaction, "that is all I ask."

"So dressy," Ziva said, before asking, "Will we be eating out or should I grab something at home while I'm getting ready?"

Tim was silent thought about that, trying to figure out the timeline. "It will be a late night. We probably won't leave the the-er there until almost midnight, so we will not be able to eat afterwards. If you can be ready and at my place by 1700, we should be able to get something to eat, otherwise, we will need to leave my place by 1830. "

Ziva gave a glance at the clock, "I believe I can do that," she commented.

"Good. If you can be ready earlier, that would be fine, since you never know what traffic is going to be like," Tim commented. "I'll call around and see if I can find reservations for us, otherwise, we might just have to take our chances."

Ziva smiled, "I will call you when I am leaving my apartment," she informed him.

* * *

What is Tim's surprise for their 'date'?

Ziva's been making an awful lot of 'notes' (mental and written), when will she talk to Tim about them and how will he react?

6-16-18


	18. I know you (J18)

Standard disclaimer applies; not beta'd

* * *

Ziva arrived at Tim's apartment at 1640, less than ten minutes after she called him. Luckily, Tim was ready to go, he taken Jethro for a walk when he arrived home, had a quick shower and shave, contacted his neighbor to ask them if they could take the dog out again at about 2000, then contacted some restaurants in the vicinity of where he and Ziva where going to be. Most were booked, especially during the time he was inquiring about, but one was able to accommodate his request. Of course that could be due to the fact that it was a newer establishment and a few blocks from their final destination.

Arriving at the restaurant, Ziva looked around, "This is nice, have you been here before?"

"No," Tim admitted, "I read a few reviews, and since it was pretty new I called hoping that they would have an opening, and well, here we are," he said, spreading his hands out in a grand gesture.

"And Ziva," Tim said, "You look incredible. I meant to tell you earlier, but well, at first I was speechless," he admitted, "And then I got distracted giving you directions. I apologize for that oversight."

"It is fine, Timothy. And may I say that you look great as well. I do not believe I have seen you in a tux before."

"Close enough," Tim admitted, "Between the waiter outfit and other undercover ops, this isn't that much different."

"Regardless, you look great," she said with a smile, "Now just accept the compliment so we can move on," she teased.

"Thank you, my Elf Lady," he said with a teasing smile.

"You are most welcome, my Knightly Elf Lord."

They paused as their wine glasses were filled and orders were placed.

"Should we be drinking?" Ziva asked, "Will we not have to drive after dinner?"

Tim shook his head, "We are only a few blocks from our destination. We can walk or grab a cab if it is too cold or are running out of time."

Ziva smiled as she lifted her glass, "You know, I still have not figured out what we are doing tonight."

"You will know soon," he commented, "Just relax and enjoy dinner. This is a new experience for both of us."

Dinner went by quickly with them enjoying the food and discussing what the upcoming work week might bring, as well as getting to know each other better. Before long, the two left the restaurant, deciding to walk.

As they turned another corner, this one leading them into DC Theatre District, Ziva exclaimed, "Oh, the ballet! I love the ballet, have since I was a child," she admitted.

"I know," Tim said with an indulgent smile, "You mentioned it the other night."

"I did? When? Where? Why?" a puzzled Ziva asked.

"Yes, Wednesday, my apartment, when the radio DJ mentioned that the score from Swan Lake was one of his favorites."

"Ah, yes, now I remember," Ziva recalled that conversation. "You know, since I am so close, I really should look into attending some performances. I haven't been in years."

"Hmm," Tim nodded as the two continued walking. "You never mentioned your favorite ballet."

Ziva smiled, "I do not think it is possible to have a favorite. They are all so spectacular. The costumes, the sets, the score, and, of course, the dancing. The way it all comes together to tell a compelling story. Even the stories with tragic endings are beautiful."

Tim smiled, "How do you feel about Sleeping Beauty?"

Ziva smiled wistfully, "It is one I have longed to see. Unfortunately, I have not been able to yet."

Again, Tim nodded, as he started to usher Ziva towards the theater doors.

"Tim? What are you doing? Don't we have someplace to be?"

Tim smiled, "Yes, and we are here."

"Here?" she repeated, looking around, "But…" she faltered, meeting Tim's eyes. "This is your surprise?" she whispered.

Tim shrugged, "Surprise," he said softly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed before wrapping her hands around his neck and giving him a hug accompanied by a quick kiss. "This is incredible! Thank you so much. I will never complain about a surprise again," she vowed.

Tim laughed, "Somehow I doubt that."

"How did you arrange this so quickly?" She asked. "And I am surprised that there were still seats available. This is a very popular ballet. Do you know that it was first performed in 1890 in Russia? Tchaikovsky, who composed this ballet, also composed Swan Lake and The Nutcracker."

Tim smiled indulgently as Ziva continued talking about the ballet. He was amazed at the difference in her. She was so animated, so full of passion as she talked nonstop about her interests. Much different from the reserved, guarded Ziva he worked with. As she continued to talk, he directed her to will call where he showed his ID and picked up their tickets.

"So, how did you get the tickets?" Ziva asked again.

Tim shrugged, "A friend helped me out."

"Nice friend," she said, "Please be sure to thank them for me. This really is amazing," she reiterated, trying to regain control of her emotions.

"We have about 15 minutes, do you want to use the facilities before we head to our seats?"

Ziva nodded and the two broke up, agreeing to meet back at this spot. Once they were reunited, Tim steered Ziva up the staircase and after showing their tickets to the usher was guided into one of the boxes.

"Oh my," Ziva said, as she eagerly looked around, drinking in the sights before her, "Some friend in deed. You really have to thank them. This is incredible."

"I'm glad you like it," Tim smiled and placed his hand over hers as the lights flickered, indicating that the show would be starting momentarily.

* * *

 _ **Once upon a dream**_

"That was wonderful," Ziva proclaimed as they left the theater. "I…thank you," she said softly, voice filled with emotion.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Tim replied with a smile.

"I did. I loved it," she shared. "Though I do not know how you expect to make our date next Saturday even better."

"I have something in mind," he stated mysteriously.

"Another surprise?"

"For now," he agreed.

"Well I cannot complain given the results of this surprise," she teased before the two fell into a comfortable silence as the taxi they grabbed took them back to the Ziva's car.

"What time are you and Sarah leaving tomorrow?" she asked as they headed back to Silver Springs.

"I told Sarah to be at my place at 0600."

Ziva cringed, "I apologize for the late night," she said as she looked at the time on the car's dashboard.

"Hey, nothing to apologize for," he reassured her. "I knew when I got the tickets it would be a late night. At least this week was fairly quiet at work so I'm not sleep deprived from working four 15 hour days in a row."

"True," Ziva agreed.

"Plus, since I still don't have my car, _I_ won't be driving," he grinned. "I'll sleep in the car if I need to and let Sarah drive."

"I do not believe you would do that," She smiled at him, "And even if you did, you still need to sleep some tonight, shower and get dressed plus take care of Jethro tomorrow."

"I'm used to that, I have to do it every morning," Tim shrugged it off. "Besides I told Sarah 0600, but truthfully, I'll be surprised if she's there by 0630. She's not the most punctual person."

Ziva smiled at the affectionate tone his voice took when he spoke of his sister. "Who is taking car of Jethro this weekend?"

Tim frowned, "The neighbor that was checking in on him tonight is going to do what they can to help, however, between all the activities for their kids, they will be in and out most of the weekend. I plan to leave the bathroom door open and line it with puppy pads just in case their activities run longer than expected."

"I can check on him," Ziva offered.

"I can't ask you to do that," Tim argued.

"Why not? And besides, you did not ask, I offered. I do not have any plans this weekend other than chores. It will do me good to get out and take a break, and you know how much I enjoy Jethro's company when running," she teased.

"If you're sure," Tim hesitated to say yes.

"Of course, and this way on Monday if Tony asks, you can tell him that your _friend_ helped with Jethro, that should impress him."

Tim smiled, "Okay, I'll leave a note for the neighbors that if they want they can check in on Jethro, but that you will take over the majority of his care. You already have a key and I'll leave you a note about the location of his supplies, as well as the vet's number just in case."

Ziva snorted, "No note needed, I'll just come up with you and you can go over it then. If you think of anything else later, you can text me or leave a note."

Tim agreed, and soon they were at his apartment. Ziva used her key, once more confirming to Tim that it worked. After entering, Tim gave her a tour of where Jethro's paraphernalia was located and pointed out his families' phone numbers as well as the vet's in case of an emergency.

As she was leaving, she once more thanked Tim for a wonderful evening and with a quick kiss and departed, sure that she would have sweet dreams tonight.

* * *

Okay, so I think Tim would totally surprise Ziva with tickets to the ballet, knowing how much she liked it, and especially since he felt so bad because he forgot that he had plans with his family. BTW, the 'friend' who helped was Thom E. Gemcity (LOL)

So, what did you guys think?

6-19-18


	19. I know what you'll do (J19)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies

* * *

Although Ziva was glad to have the weekend off, she found herself missing McGee's company. After all, they had almost been inseparable, this last week. The days often began by running together, accompanied by Jethro, then they drove into DC together where they worked side by side; later that day, they drove home, often stopping for dinner before stopping at his place to relax and talk. She then went home to sleep, ready to begin the routine again the next day.

Without Tim around, she felt lonely. It was with a ping of sadness that she remembered the last time she felt lonely, it was when she was younger, right after her sister, Talia, died.

More and more she found herself at Tim's apartment. She told her self that she was just checking on Jethro, making sure he was okay and giving him the exercise he missed when the snow was too bad. Of course, that didn't explain why she lingered at Tim's apartment both before and after Jethro's excursions.

Some times she sat on the small sofa, listening to the classical radio station Tim had found a few days before and remembering the ballet they had attended the previous evening. Other times, she perused his bookcase, making note and in some cases, reading, the much loved books on the shelves. A few times she lingered by his desk and typewriter, hoping to steal a glimpse of the latest work from his alter ego, since she knew he had one more book he was under contract to write. Unfortunately, it did not look like Tim or rather, Thom E. Gemcity had done any writing of late. She supposed that it was possible that it was stored away in his desk, but she didn't feel right searching for it.

On Sunday morning, three particular things caught her attention. First, he had a huge record collection. As she looked at the albums, she wondered why he had not played any of them earlier in the week after their Italian dinner, but had instead searched for a radio station. With a shrug, since she might never know, she chose one and started to play it. It was as she listened and looked around some more that she noticed the second thing.

Tim had a lot of pictures staggered around his apartment. Most of them were of his sister, some included him, some did not. Many of them included an older woman Ziva believed was their mother. A couple featured an even older woman that she suspected was 'Penny'. None of them, however, had included his father, or 'The Admiral', as Tim referred to him. Ziva frowned at that realization. Anyone who knew Timothy, knew how important his sister and therefore, his family was to him. It was very telling that his father was not present in his apartment.

The last thing Ziva noticed was that Tim was almost out of food. Or at least some of the common household staples, such as milk, eggs, and bread. Since she was not sure when Timothy would have the time or opportunity to do some shopping, she decided that she would replenish some of those items for him, and if she happened to add yogurts or some of his favorite breakfast bars, well, certainly there was no harm in that, right?

After putting away the groceries, Ziva turned the radio on again before settling in on his couch. As the classical music played, she closed her eyes and let the music carry her away.

"Ziva…Ziva" she heard a voice calling her in the distance. "Ziva, wake up," that same voice called, too loud for her to ignore, though she still tried. It was only a few moments later that she felt something cold and wet rub against her neck.

Immediately, she jumped up from the couch and into a defensive position, ready to take on the enemy.

"Jethro, bed," she heard McGee order his dog, while he pointed to the dog's pillow by the window. "I'm so sorry, Ziva. He's never done that before," he admitted with a frown, adding, "Of course, I've never had anybody fall asleep on the sofa before either."

"It is fine," Ziva stated dismissively. "I was, after all, invading his territory."

"I don't think he minded," Tim commented dryly. "When I entered my apartment, he was laying down in front of you on the floor, watching me as if to make sure I didn't hurt you."

"He's a good guard dog," Ziva declared with a smile.

"I take it you two bonded this weekend?"

"We did. I already knew he was a great running companion, but the entire weekend he was a great friend."

Tim smiled at her again before changing to a frown, "You know, when you offered to help with Jethro this weekend, I didn't mean for you to stay here, er not that I minded. I just meant that he would've been fine with you coming a couple of times a day. You did not have to make him your _entire_ weekend."

"I did not mind."

"I know, but still I'm sure that you had other things you had to do, wanted to do."

"Truthfully?" Ziva asked, receiving a nod in reply, "My place felt so cold and empty. Yours seemed…homier," she finished with a shrug.

"I think the word you're looking for is cluttered," Tim corrected wryly. "Anyway, you are welcome any time, after all, you have a key."

"So I do," she smiled.

* * *

 _ **I know what you'll do**_

Tim smiled as he settled into Ziva's car the next morning, she was humming along to the score from Friday's ballet. "Thank you for-"

"Timothy, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to thank me."

"But I-"

"It is no problem. It is what friends do for one another."

"Friends also say thank you, when another friend does something that makes their life easier or better."

"Then I thank you for the ballet on Friday," Ziva replied. "I had a marvelous evening."

"I'm glad," Tim replied. "And I want to than-"

"Timothy," Ziva warned.

"But-"

"Yes, I know, you don't want me to feel taken for granted. I don't. If I ever do, I will make sure to share that with you, okay?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts," Ziva argued. "We are going to be spending a lot of time together the next two months, if we thank each other for every little thing we do for one another, I fear that will be our only conversation."

Tim laughed, deciding to drop the topic for now. Maybe when they return to his apartment he can let her know how much he appreciated her picking up some groceries for him. Though he did want to question her about the yogurt.

The drive passed quickly, with little conversation, mostly due to the fact that Ziva was enjoying the music so much and Tim was enthralled watching her. It was almost as if in her mind she was repeating every step, every gesture that they saw performed.

Traffic was light that day and the two made good time on the drive in. After parking the car and entering the building, Ziva turned to Tim, "By the way, if we don't get a case tonight, I was thinking of going to the grocery store, you are more then welcome to join me," she stated.

"Ah, yeah," Tim remarked, before the noise from the lobby distracted him.

* * *

6-22-18


	20. I waltzed with (J20)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Ziva? Are you _dancing_?" Tony asked incredulously. He had entered the bullpen to find everyone but Tim gone. After teasing McGee about the lack of conference with their fearless leader, he decided to get to work, hoping to make a good enough impression that if it was another day of cold cases, today _he_ would be allowed to leave early. Within 10 minutes, the boss had reentered, silently taking his seat at his desk, reviewing paperwork. Another 5 minutes after that, Ziva came in. However, she didn't walk in, she _waltzed_ , which was what led him to his question.

"Perhaps," she said softly, humming quietly, 'hmm-mmm-mm, ah-hmmm-hmm-hmm, hmm-ahmmm-hmm-hmmm.'

"No, no perhaps, you are dancing," Tony said with a smirk, "I take it you had a good weekend."

"It was fine," Ziva said reining herself in and opening up another cold case file. She made sure to avoid everyone's gaze, even Tim's.

"Fine does not make someone dance at work," he commented. "Actually, I have yet to find anything that would make me dance at work."

"Something for which we are all grateful for," Tim commented, earning a laugh from Ziva and a smirk from Gibbs.

"I don't see you dancing at work, either, Probie." Tony commented, "Girlfriend blow you off for the weekend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend," Tim stated as he rolled his eyes, "Saturday my sister and I left to spend the weekend with our family, including the Admiral. Trust me, the only reason to dance was when I was leaving."

Tony snorted, "Well, at least I know that I don't want to hear about your weekend. Ziva's however," he left the sentence unfinished as he stared at his coworker, trying to get her to talk.

Ziva sighed, "If you must know, I was surprised Friday night-"

"But you hate surprises," Tony interrupted.

"I do not think I can anymore, not after this," Ziva replied with a smile. "Anyway, I was surprised by…a friend taking me to the ballet."

Tony looked at her shrewdly, "A _male_ friend?"

"Yes."

"A good friend?"

Ziva smiled fondly, "He is becoming so, yes."

Tony snorted, "If he sat through the ballet with you, I would hope so. The only thing worse than the ballet is the opera. At least at the ballet you don't have to wear a tux."

Ziva smiled, "He did."

Tony's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What else did he do?"

Ziva shrugged, "Nothing."

"Uh huh, and how long was this trip to the ballet planned?"

"It was a last minute thing," Ziva admitted, "We talked about doing something this weekend, and since we were both free Friday night, well, he made a few calls and off we went."

"Hmm," Tony hummed, deciding to file that tidbit of information away for later. "So what else happened this weekend that has you in such high spirits?"

Ziva shrugged, "Not much else. The rest of the weekend was rather low lock, as you might say."

"Low lock?" Tony frowned at that phrasing.

"Yes, you know, not really doing anything. Relaxing. I mostly spent it at his apartment."

"Key, not lock," Tim said, with a smile aimed at Ziva, "Low key."

Ziva nodded her thanks and gave him a bright smile in return.

"His apartment?" Tony repeated, "Why not your own?"

"I like his better," she admitted. "Seems homey."

"Are you sure you mean homey?" he questioned, causing Ziva to frown in concentration, wondering if she got the phrase wrong. Tim did not correct her last night when she used that word. "And not homo? Perhaps this new guy of yours is gay and that's why you feel so comfortable around him. After all, guy in tights willingly spent the evening at the ballet."

Tim bit his tongue to keep from commenting, even when Tony didn't know Tim was the subject of conversation, he still implied that he was gay.

"I am sure," Ziva replied, meeting Tony's gaze as she absently bent a paperclip that was on her desk.

"Right," he nodded, noticing her hands. "Well, we best get to work," he concluded to the amusement of most of his teammates.

* * *

"So did you do anything Friday night?" Tony asked Tim a few hours later, needing a break from cold cases.

One of Tim's eyebrows lifted in inquiry, "I thought you didn't want to hear about my weekend," he commented.

"Your time with the Admiral, no," he agreed, "I was just wondering if you and your girlfriend did anything before you left town."

"She's not my girlfriend," Tim injected, only to have Tony dismiss his words, "But yes, we did," he admitted, "We had dinner and then went to the theatre."

"Did you see something good?" Tony asked, "No, wait," he continued before Tim could answer, "I don't want to know, I know what movies are out right now, and can't imagine that we have the same taste. Most likely you saw either one of your fantasy things or a chick flick. Just tell me how it went."

Tim smiled, thankful that he didn't have to lie about a movie. "It was good," Tim replied with a smile, not knowing what else to say that wouldn't give it away that he was with Ziva.

"That's it? Good?" an astonished Tony commented. "Probie,"

Tim shrugged, "We went out for dinner before the show since we both got out of work early."

"So she was out early as well? Hmm, what does she do that might allow her to get out early?"

Tim shook his head, ignoring Tony's questions. "After dinner, we went to the show. I won't tell you what it was," he grinned, "since you said you didn't want to know, but we both enjoyed it."

"Who picked it?" Tony asked.

"I did, actually," Tim admitted, "She hadn't specifically mentioned that she wanted to see it, but I knew it was something she would enjoy and was interested in."

"Ah, so it was a chick flick," Tony gloated, "Just tell me, did she enjoy it more than you?"

"Yes," Tim grinned, "Truthfully, what I really enjoyed was her reaction to it, both the show itself and when she realized what I got the tickets for."

Tony wiggled his eyebrows, "Do tell," he smirked. "Did she spend the night?"

Tim shook his head, "Sarah was meeting me at my house at 0600 Saturday, so we could head out."

"Yeah, probably not the best time," Tony frowned. "But we are talking heavy make out session, right?"

Tim blushed and turned away.

"Probie, at least tell me you kissed her?"

"Kissed who?" Ziva asked as she reentered the bullpen.

"McGee's girlfriend."

"I don't have a girlfriend," he protested.

"And you never will if you don't kiss her," Tony retorted.

"I…We hav…It might…" Tim began flustered.

"Maybe you should have," Ziva supplied, "If your evening was anything like mine," she said with a shrug before humming and waltzing back to her desk.

"Some how, I can't see McGeek's date dancing at work." Tony snorted, "At least not as a result from a dinner and movie date."

Ziva looked at Tim, the two exchanging smiles before Tim just shrugged in reply to Tony's comment.

"So that's the only time you saw her all weekend? And you didn't kiss her," he stated sadly with a shake of his head before looking over to see a blushing Tim. "Probie?"

"I…" he paused and looked pleadingly towards Ziva for help.

"Nope," Tony injected, standing in front of Ziva and blocking Tim's view of her, "She's not gonna come to your rescue this time. Talk."

"I…Tony, just drop it," Tim pleaded.

"Oh, no, definitely won't be dropping it now," he smirked, still staring at Tim.

"She helped to look in on Jethro this weekend," Tim began.

"Oooookay," Tony sang, not seeing the point, or what was so embarrassing about that.

"I figured she would just pop in a few times each day," he admitted.

"She didn't?"

Tim shook his head, "It seems like she spent most of the weekend at my apartment. Apparently she likes it there, likes Jethro a lot too," Tim admitted.

Tony snorted, 'So she's in the relationship for the dog and the apartment," he said in confusion.

Tim glared before he continued, "I came home Sunday evening and she was asleep on my couch."

"Whoa, wait a minute…you got a couch?"

"Tony," Tim groaned.

"Sorry, so she was all sleeping beauty on your couch," Tony said, not noticing the startled look from Ziva at his words, "Then what?"

"She really did look beautiful," Tim admitted, "I didn't want to wake her, but I knew she had to work today. She did remind me of sleeping beauty, and I admit that part of me really wanted to kiss her awake," he confessed, not meeting Ziva's or Tony's gaze.

Tony took a step forward, towards him, "Did you?"

"No," he said softly, yet firmly, "I…we haven't really kissed, just on the cheek or a quick peck on the lips, I didn't think it was right to kiss her when she was sleeping."

"Okay, so that was a good call," Tony admitted, "But if you had kissed her Friday night, then you could've woken her up with a kiss."

Tim groaned and tried to move the conversation along, "I also noticed that she went grocery shopping for me. Picked up some milk and bread, things I was running low on, as well as those granola bars I liked. Of course, I also noticed some yogurt in my fridge," he said with a quick glance towards a smirking Ziva.

Tony frowned, "You eat yogurt?"

"No, but I know she does," Tim admitted.

"For breakfast?" Tony inquired.

Tim nodded, "Yes, or as a snack."

Tony's eyebrows wiggled, "Probie, you really need to kiss her."

"Tony,"

"No, listen, and Ziva can correct me if I'm wrong, though I'm pretty sure I'm not," he stated. "She filled your fridge with her preferred breakfast food. Breakfast," he repeated with a pointed look at Tim, "As in the first meal of the day, after someone wakes up."

"I know when breakfast is," Tim snapped.

"Probie! You idiot," Tony slapped him lightly on the back of the head, "She's making sure that there is food in your apartment that she eats for when she spends the night."

"I…no," Tim said in disbelief, not meeting either of his teammates' gazes, especially Ziva's. "I…as I said, she stayed in my apartment most of the weekend, the yogurt is probably just left over. She probably meant to take it home but forgot it because she was so tired."

Tony shook his head, "Only way to know for sure is to kiss her."

"Or I could ask her."

"You could, but kissing is more fun," Tony explained, "Even if you're wrong, it's still fun."

Tim just shook his head and started to read the report on his desk, hoping that the Tony would stop the conversation before Gibbs returned.

"Ziva, what do you think?"

Ziva looked at an embarrassed Tim before replying, "I think we should get back to work and let Timothy handle it his way."

"You're no fun," Tony muttered as he returned to his desk, glancing one more at Tim, "And you really need to kiss her. _Before_ Saturday," he added. "You already have so much riding on that one night, you can't add to it."

"Gear up," Gibbs called as he entered the bullpen, "Dead Navy Officer at"

"Rock Creek Park?" Tony guessed.

"No," Gibbs said with a glare, "Norfolk."

"That's over three hours away!"

"Yep, McGee, you're driving," Gibbs instructed.

Tim nodded even as he cast looks in his partners' direction, wondering who would be in the van with him.

"Ah, boss, do you think we'll be back tonight?"

"Hot date, Probie?" Tony asked, making kissing faces.

Tim rolled his eyes, "Need to know if I need to contact someone to take care of Jethro."

"Oh, I see," Tony smirked, "You're hoping that if it's late enough the girlfriend might be sleeping on your couch again."

"Tony," Tim began with a sigh, before pausing and shaking his head. Was it really worth saying anything?

"Let's go," Gibbs called, reminding them that he was waiting.

* * *

yeah, yeah, I know the words to the song is "I walked with you" not waltzed, but well, it fit with Ziva dancing at work.

A three hour drive (okay, all I can think of is 'a three hour tour' from Gilligan's island), who is riding with who and what will the conversations be like?

My Birthday, you get the gifts, or at least the chapters :) Decided to post updates for all my fics today

6-25-18


	21. Driving me crazy (J21)

I do no own NCIS or any familar characters, no money is being made from this. Not beta'd

* * *

"I talked to McGee," Gibbs began as he and Ziva exited the Navy Yard in one of the agency sedans.

"So I heard," Ziva commented.

Both her words and tone of voice had Gibbs staring at her for a moment, waiting for her to continue. When she did not, he spoke again, "What's going on?"

"Ziva," he questioned when she remained silent.

"I do not know," she admitted.

"You know something."

Ziva went silent for a few minutes, "Does Tim seem different to you?"

Eyes narrowed, "Different how?"

A shrug, "Just different. This last week, he almost seemed more like the old Tim, the Tim from my first year on the team. Friendlier," she added. "Happier. It seemed like in the last few years, he's been even more private and separated from us than before, but this week," she paused, "It's almost as if I imagined all of that."

Gibbs nodded as he reviewed his memories of the bullpen from the last few years. "No you weren't imagining it," he admitted. "He has tried to keep things hidden from the team."

"Hidden?" Ziva repeated, "Do you think he is up to something?"

"Do you?" Gibbs questioned in reply. "Ziva?" he asked when she remained silent.

"I…" She paused for a moment as she thought about what she wanted to say. "I do not think he is up to anything illegal if that is what you are afraid of."

"No worries, there, it's McGee," he snorted. "But you do think he's up to something?"

"I am worried," Ziva admitted. "He has made a few comments this week, too many for me to dismiss,"

"What type of comments?" Gibbs asked, not sure if he like the where this conversation was headed.

"I do not want to break his trust," Ziva finally replied, "Give me some time to determine what is going on."

Gibbs was silent for a moment as he continued driving to Norfolk, "Should I be worried?"

Ziva's silence spoke volumes. Internally, Gibbs sighed, "You'll let me know when you can," he stated.

Ziva nodded, "If there is something to share, of course," she agreed.

Gibbs nodded and continued driving before commenting, "Never pictured McGee as the ballet type."

"I don't think he is," she responded with a smile.

"You seemed to have a good time," Gibbs smirk, recalling her unusual behavior in the bullpen this morning.

"I did, very much so," Ziva agreed, knowing there was no denying that fact. "It had been a long time since I had attended a performance. Though what made it even more enjoyable was that he did all that for _me._ I am sure he had never attended a performance before in his life and had probably never intended to, yet he contacted a friend and arranged last minute tickets, in a box," she added, "because he remembered that I once mentioned that I enjoyed it."

Gibbs couldn't think of a reply to that. If he hadn't known better, he would suspect McGee of setting this whole 'plan' situation up as a way to get closer to Ziva. For a fake relationship, he certainly wasn't sparing any time, effort, or money.

The car was silent for the next few miles, before Gibbs finally asked the question that had been on his mind for the last week, "Why did you agree to participate in McGee's plan?" He still thought the entire thing was crazy, and was going to end much differently than they thought, but had decided not to interfere. Hopefully however it ended would not hurt his team.

"I did not," she began, only to be cut off by a furious Gibbs.

"Then what the hell was that in the conference room last week? McGee thinks that you are willing to pretend to be-"

"I did not agree, I suggested it," she admitted, stopping Gibbs' rant.

Eyes narrowed, suspiciously, "Why?"

When it had been McGee's plan, he was confident that it was most likely innocent, as well as mostly harmless, with no hidden agendas. That was why he had decided to just let it slide, and see where it took them. Knowing that it was Ziva's idea made him rethink that, however. He knew enough about Ziva to be unable to unequivocally state the same.

"Partly because of what I said earlier," Ziva started to explain. "About how he has been distant form us, rarely talking about non-work related things; not joining us for drinks after work or lunch during the day."

"He's been bringing his lunch," Gibbs pointed out, "Eating healthier."

Ziva gave a half smile, "He only eats lunch in on the days we ask him to join us, other days, he goes out on his own."

"I…how does that happen?" a puzzled Gibbs ask. Last he knew, he was the one the office believed was psychic, not McGee.

"He calls it his J.I.C. food."

"J.I.C.?"

"Just in case," Ziva shared. "In case we work late; in case he can't get away and wants something more substantial than nutter butters; in case-"

"In case people ask him to lunch and he doesn't want to go," Gibbs injected.

"Yes, or in case his lunch gets ruined, lost, or something else happens to it," Ziva added angrily.

"Something else like what?"

"Like him being tricked into throwing it away and not being able to eat," Ziva replied after a few moments of internal debate. "He prepares it on Sunday, and brings it into the office on Monday. It is good for a week, if he uses it, then he brings another one in the next day; if it is not needed, he takes it home with him on Friday, so he has something prepared for the weekend."

"Good plan," Gibbs grudgingly approved.

Ziva gave a half-hearted smile, "He always thinks and plans ahead."

"And that worries you."

Ziva shook her head, indicating she did not want to address that topic at this time. "I was hoping I could use this plan to renew our friendship," she shared, continuing her answer to the question that had gotten them off topic. "I realized how separated he was, how distant and how I missed his friendship. He was a great help to me when I joined the team."

"And?"

"And it's going well," she admitted. "We are talking and getting to know each other a lot better than I predicted. In many ways I have learned so much more about him, and it has only been one week. He is different than I expected," she added impulsively.

"You think you can keep it up for two months?"

"Yes. I am actually enjoying myself," she admitted, "More than I would have expected from a friendship."

Gibbs nodded before asking, "How much was Tony a factor in your decision?"

Ziva frowned, "Truthfully, I thought Tim was exaggerating when he made references to torment and torture when speaking of Tony's behavior."

Gibbs smirked, "Must be the writer in him coming out."

"But he was not," Ziva hastily added. "Tony _daily_ questions him about his external activities. Even when Tim says he doesn't want to talk, Tony persist, leaving Tim without peace, until Tim finally has enough and tries to escape." She frowned, "Damn it, I bet he is doing that right now and Tim cannot even put distance between them like he usually tries to."

Ziva fell silent after sharing those words, upset for Tim for the situation he was placed in.

Gibbs felt her anger and realized that he would be getting no more information out of her on this trip.

* * *

"C'mon Probie, I'm driving," Tony called as he walked to the van.

"No, you're not, I am."

"I'll get us there faster," Tony argued.

"It's not a race, and I'll get us there in one piece," Tim retorted shaking his head. It seemed like they had this conversation every time they got called to a scene, though sometimes it was a three way argument about who was driving.

"Cuz you drive like grandma," Tony muttered.

"Gibbs said I was driving, so I'm driving," Tim stated as he got behind the wheel.

"Like you always listen to Gibbs," Tony snapped, climbing into the passenger seat as he thought about what he had just said. Tim simply raised an eyebrow, "Okay, so you do, but rebelling is good."

"Yeah, I don't think so," he disagreed.

Giving a nod, Tony commented, "Yeah, you're probably still in trouble from the talk in Friday's elevator conference."

His words caused Tim to temporarily stop the vehicle, "What do you know about that?"

"Just that he pulled you in there to talk and when you came out you were upset and distracted," Tony admitted. "I didn't have the chance to mention anything earlier,"

"You mean tease, torment, and probe," Tim muttered.

"Because you and Ziva were caught up in that cold case and then out making arrests," Tony continued, other than a twitch in his eye he gave no indication that he heard Tim's remark. "So, what was that about anyway?"

"Nothing," Tim replied.

"I know that's not true," Tony gave a slight laugh, "Gibbs wouldn't have a conference with someone regarding nothing."

"Fine, then it's none of your business," Tim countered.

"If it happens at work and involves a member of our team, of course it is my business."

"Just drop it," Tim pleaded, "Otherwise it's going to be a long drive."

"It's at least a three hour drive when Ziva's driving, closer to four for you, and that's without traffic," Tony mocked, "That already makes it a long drive."

"Then take a nap," Tim suggested, "That will make the time fly by," and give me some peace and quiet, Tim thought.

"You know," Tony began, "With just the two of us in this car, it gives us the perfect time to talk about Ziva."

Tim looked at Tony in surprise. "Probie!" Tony yelled when the car drifted dangerously into another lane.

"Sorry," Tim mumbled, as he focused on the road. "Ziva?" he echoed, wondering what Tony knew.

"Well, more like Ziva's guy."

"Ziva's guy?"

Tony snorted, "It's going to be a long drive if you keep repeating everything I say back to me."

"Sorry," Tim muttered again.

"So, has Ziva mentioned anything about guy in tights to you?"

"Guy in tights?"

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes, "Her ballet guy."

Tim frowned, "He took her to the ballet, I'm pretty sure he wasn't _in_ it."

At his words, Tony waved a hand dismissively, "Did she mention anything to you about him? You guys have spent a lot of time together last week, drove home last Friday, drove in together this morning," he pointed out.

Tim hesitated, not sure what to say. This seemed like a good time to drop a hint about him and Ziva dating, set that portion of the plan into motion. Perhaps he should just admit that _he_ was her date to the ballet? Tim frowned, if he did that, he didn't think Tony would believe him, or if he did, would credit it as an outing as friends, a way to thank Ziva for her help this last week and not a real date. No, Tim decided, if he stated outright that he was 'guy in tights', the plan wouldn't work, especially since Tim had said he spent Friday night with his _friend_.

"Probie?" Tony questioned when Tim remained silent. "She said something to you , didn't she?" he asked suspiciously.

"No," Tim finally answered, "She didn't tell me anything about the guy that took her to the ballet," he answered honestly. If Tony remembered this conversation later, he might realize the slight emphasis he had placed on the words 'tell me' Tim decided. It could be enough to get Tony suspicious.

As if realizing Tim's words were worth more than they seemed, Tony's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He knew Probie wasn't lying to him, when Tim lied, or rather, tried to lie, it was obvious. With a shrug, he figured he could wait until they arrived at Norfolk where he could get answers from Ziva, even better, maybe he could drive home with her. A few hours of forced conversation could reveal a lot, which reminded him, Tony thought with a smile, sneaking a look at Tim.

Tony grinned, "We could talk more about your girlfriend."

Tim groaned, "I don't have a-"

"Girlfriend," Tony said with him. "Your boyfriend then," Tony corrected with a smirk. "Girlfriend, boyfriend, makes no difference to me," Tony said dismissively.

"Tony," Tim began angrily.

"Hey, I told you that doesn't matter. What does matter is the details. How you met, what she or he," Tony added with a smirk, "Looks like. Their occupation. What you have told them about us. You know, the important things."

Tim groaned, yep, it looked like this was going to be a _long_ trip. Casting a quick look at the speedometer, he wondered if it was worth the risk of a ticket if it meant he wouldn't have to listen to Tony for as long.

"We already talked about her this morning," Tim reminded the older agent, hoping Tony would agree to drop the subject.

"And I'm sure there is much more to learn," he retorted before launching into a long list of personal questions he had been wanting to ask.

Definitely worth it, Tim decided.

* * *

Sorry it took so long for this chapter, I couldn't get it quite right...even now I'm not crazy over it.

7-7-18


	22. Bedtime stories (J22)

Not Beta'd. Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"They only had two rooms left, boss," Tony announced tiredly, holding up two set of room keys. Tony was seriously beginning to believe that this case was cursed. Not only did he not get to drive, but he was stuck in a car with Probie driving, in heavy traffic due to an accident on the highway; then after arriving, over a half hour _after_ Ziva and Gibbs, he got stuck bagging and tagging while Ziva interviewed witnesses and McGee worked the camera. After that, it seemed like they ran into one delay tactic after another. Gibbs finally called it a night, sending Tony to the local motel to grab rooms for the team. Unfortunately, they only had the two available, meaning that he will be sharing a room with McGee and Gibbs, that ought to be real fun. He snorted, well, it could be worse, he decided, trying to look at the bright side, at least those two don't snore.

Gibbs took the key envelopes from Tony's hand and looking at the numbers, handed one to the female agent, "Ziva, this is your room, the three of us will share the other room."

"No offense, but I'm not sharing a bed with Probie," Tony warned, while Tim only rolled his eyes, "He can sleep on the floor."

"We'll call down for a cot," Gibbs shared.

Remembering the trip to Cuba and Gibbs taking the nicer bedroom, Tony was hesitant to ask, "Uh, boss, who-"

"I can share with you or McGee," Ziva interrupted, looking at Gibbs.

"Not me?" Tony questioned, with a smirk, "Afraid you wouldn't be able to resist?"

"Yes," Ziva deadpanned, "Resist killing you at least," she added, smirking.

"Ouch, that really hurt," Tony mocked, "We've shared a room and a bed before," he reminded everyone.

"Yes, and I believe at the end we both agreed to a divorce," Ziva added.

"Well, you do snore," Tony muttered, earning a glare from her.

"Fine, if you are sure," Gibbs injected, continuing when Ziva nodded, "Tim, you'll share with Ziva, DiNozzo and I will take the other room."

Tony stared at his boss, "Why Probie?"

"She won't share with you and it wouldn't look right for the two of us to share."

"But it looks okay for her and McGee to share?"

"She offered-" he began, only to be interrupted by Tony.

"To share with you as well,"

"And he is not her supervisor," he concluded, glaring at the SFA.

"Oh," Tony finally understood Gibbs' point, as they headed towards the correct floor, separating at their respective rooms.

* * *

After closing the door, Tim couldn't help but comment, "You know he's not going to forget this."

"That is the idea," Ziva admitted. "This could get him wondering, or at least help him to put the pieces together. And if not, I have a few other ideas," she smirked.

"Ziva," Tim warned.

"Oh, it is all in fun, Timothy," she stated softly, as the two silently communicated and began a revised version of their morning bathroom routine. "The fact that he hasn't already become suspicious about the time we have spent together yet is surprising."

Tim shrugged, "I told you about our conversation from the drive down. For a brief moment, I think the thought flickered across his mind. Or perhaps it was the thought that I might've set you up with 'guy in tights'. Either way, he didn't give it any mind. Like most people, he sees what he wants to see or expects to see. He has no reason to expect that the two of us might be together, or that you would get along with a friend of mine, so his mind automatically dismissed both ideas."

Ziva frowned as she thought about his words, "You have experience with that type of thing?" she asked, "Not just with Tony, but with others as well?"

"My whole life," Tim admitted quietly. "People look at me and expect to see a geek, very few look past that to see that I am, that I can be more than that. After a while, you don't even try to get them to see more."

Ziva stood in the doorway of the bathroom and watched him, "Why not?"

"Because they won't believe it. You say something and they immediately dismiss it as you pretending to be something you're not, or exaggerating to impress them or even just flat out lying."

"Like what?"

Tim shrugged, "Anything. Tony, for instance, doesn't believe me when I mention that I don't play a lot of video games anymore. He has me down as the geek who spends his time alone with his computer. Anything else, doesn't fit in his mind, so he thinks it's a lie."

"Like what?"

Tim frowned as he looked at her, "Believe it or not, I once went skydiving."

"But you are afraid of heights," she injected.

Tim nodded, "Now, yeah, but not then. Besides, it was a controlled fall, with a parachute. And the view was totally worth it," he added.

Ziva looked at him in surprise, she never would have expected Tim to be adventurous like that, even without his, apparently, recent bout of acrophobia.

"People laughed when I said that I wanted to be a federal agent," Tim added, continuing their earlier conversation. "It wasn't something expected of a geek, didn't fit in with their perception of me."

"Is that part of the reason you don't tell people what you do?"

"Probably plays a part," Tim agreed with a shrug, "but also, I've dated some real scary women, er, scary in a different way than you and Abby," he added, "I wouldn't trust them not to go all 'Fatal Attraction' on me, which is a good reason to keep some of my private details hidden."

"Fatal attraction?"

"Er, movie reference, basically a film where the girl stalks the married guy she had an affair with."

"No doubt, one of Tony's favorites."

"No doubt," Tim agreed, as they both laughed for a few minutes.

"Well, I stand by what I said before, you are a great field agent, the fact that you don't have the typical LEO background, is part of what makes you so successful. It gives you a different perspective on things, a way to see things that others often overlook."

"Thanks," an embarrassed Tim muttered, as he finished his nightly routine and tried to walk past her and out of the bathroom.

"I mean it," she said, leaning up to plant a kiss on his cheek before moving to grab her bag of toiletries as well as giving Tim a chance to escape.

With no one talking to her, Ziva's time in the bathroom went much quicker than Tim's. Before long, she exited the bathroom and was ready for bed.

"Did Gibbs say what time he wanted to leave the hotel in the morning?"

Tim frowned, "I don't think so, why?"

"Figured we could run together tomorrow before breakfast."

"You can give him a call and ask," he suggested, "You do know that you'll be stuck with just me as a running companion, right? Jethro won't be joining us."

"I think I can handle it being just the two of us."

"Of course," Tim added, "If you call and ask Gibbs, telling him the reason why, there is a good chance Tony will overhear and will be at our door to join us."

"Then we can give him even more to think about," she smiled mysteriously as she got out her phone to dial.

* * *

Tim and Ziva had settled into their separate beds almost an hour ago. The lights were off, yet neither had fallen asleep. It wasn't because they were uncomfortable sharing a room. To Tim, it seemed almost natural. The two had spent so much time together in the last week, that this didn't seem unusual at all. No, his bout of insomnia was due to the conversations he had with Tony and Ziva repeating over and over again in his head. Ziva's conversation with Gibbs was on her mind as well. Along with the agreement she had with Tim to be honest with one another, and to talk things out. Usually she wasn't one for discussing such things, but they had made a deal.

"Timothy," Ziva's voice penetrated the darkness of the room. "There is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oookayyy," Tim replied hesitantly, dragging out the word, bracing himself for what she said next.

"I rented some movies last weekend and watched them at your apartment,"

"Okay," Tim repeated, wondering why Ziva brought it up. It didn't seem like something he really needed to know. "Wait...did something break?"

"No."

Tim blinked at the short, unexpected answer. "Oh, um, that's okay, Ziva. I'm glad you were able to relax," Tim finally replied.

"Hmm." Ziva hummed, before once more falling silent.

"So, ah, what movie did you watch?" he asked, curious as to why she mentioned it, but not wanting to ask outright.

"It was a cartoon," she began.

"Cartoon?" Tim repeated in surprise. "You don't seem the cartoon type," he automatically spoke his thoughts out loud before realizing what he was doing. "Um, er, I meant-"

"It's okay, Tim, I agree. It normally wouldn't be my first choice, but someone made a reference to a character in this movie and I was curious."

"Oh, well, that makes sense, I guess," Tim admitted. "You know, you could've waited. I would've watched it with you."

"I know," Ziva agreed, "But part of me wanted to see it by myself, plus it wasn't exactly planned. I just came across it and hopped at the opportunity."

"Jumped," Tim smiled, confident that Ziva couldn't see it, "Jumped at the opportunity."

"Hopped, jumped, basically the same thing, right?"

"I guess," Tim agreed not wanting to argue with her. "Anyway, did you enjoy it? Er, the movie?"

"Overall, yes, the reference..." Tim saw the blanket move and assumed she was shrugging her shoulders.

"What was the movie anyway?" Tim asked, not sure if he wanted to know the reference that she apparently didn't like.

"101 Dalmatians."

Realizing that the reference in that movie was from him, and definitely wasn't flattering, Tim immediately sat up in the bed, suddenly wide awake. Oh god, he's a dead man, he thought. "Ziva," he called softly, his voice filled with sorrow as he turned on the light.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not," he replied. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean."

"Tim, it is fine. I know you did-"

"I was, I still get upset when I think about that," he admitted, interrupting her.

"And so you should," she retorted. " _You_ wrote a book, _we_ , **I** , endangered your life. We were very lucky nothing happened to you."

"Or to the evidence," Tim added, hoping to distract her.

Ziva grimaced, "Gibbs would have, should have killed us for endangering you and the evidence. The fact that you did not report it,"

"I couldn't, you guys had a right to be mad," Tim tried to explain.

"Maybe. But not a right to endanger your life or deliberately scare you."

"It's okay."

"No, Tim, it's not," Ziva stated, meeting his eyes. "It might not mean much now, but I apologize for my actions when we learned about your book. You were right, we, I, had not read it at the time, just knew the general premise and characters, and the parts Tony shared in the bullpen."

"He-"

"I know," She stopped him from continuing. "He selected excerpts he knew would come across badly, without sharing what came before or after."

Tim nodded, "Wait..." he paused and thought for a moment before looking up and meeting her eyes. "You said at the time you hadn't read them, that changed? You read them this weekend?" he asked, the last question filled with hope.

"No," she replied, rushing to clarify when Tim's face fell, "I mean, yes I read them, though not this weekend. I actually read them a while ago," she admitted. "I did enjoy them."

Tim frowned, "You didn't say anything," he commented softly, unsure whether to believe her words.

She shrugged, "I figured it was best to let sleeping dogs die. I did not want to set anyone off again," she admitted. "It was in the past, it no longer mattered."

Tim had tried to hide his grin at both the reference to dogs given the movie she saw and the incorrect idiom, not wanting to annoy her, something he knew would occur if he attempted to correct her again, however, her at her second statement that grin couldn't be denied. "Are you sure you did not watch The Lion King?" he teased, knowing he had to offer some kind of explanation for his smile.

"Yes," she stated firmly, her face showing her confusion.

Tim shook his head, not willing to get completely distracted, "You're comment just reminded me of a character from that movie," he briefly explained, before agreeing to her other statement, "Probably for the best that we let it die."

"No," she argued, "Not if you are still upset over it, which you have a right to be," she added. "We, I was wrong. I know you say you did not write about us, but the characters _are_ loosely based on us. Caricatures so to speak, I am not completely Lisa, nor are you MacGregor, but some things carry over."

Tim paused, looking at her, "If I agree, do you promise not to tell Tony that I did?"

She laughed, "Does not matter if I tell him or not, he will believe what he wants. What he doesn't understand is that he should feel flattered, I do," she admitted. "Agent Tommy seems to be a favorite character of many."

"Not as popular as Lisa or LJ," Tim argued. "In fact, many people seem to think that all the characters are too extreme to be real. Tommy too unprofessional, LJ too tough, Lisa too dangerous," he said with a smile. "They like them, but can't imagine _real_ people being like that, especially federal agents."

Ziva grinned, "I often think the same about Tony," she admitted, "Especially after he mentioned that old show, candy camera."

"Candid," Tim corrected. "And can you imagine Tony if he had a script to follow?" Ziva shuddered in horror. "And any resemblance wasn't intentional," he added.

"Tim,"

"I'm serious," Tim began. "I didn't set out to write a book about NCIS or our team. It started as a way to decompress, to deal with everything we do and see. Then I started thinking about how things _could_ have gone," he admitted. "I thought, what if the wife _had_ done it? What if she was having an affair? What if the husband lead a double life, what if, what if, what if," Tim repeated, before he explained how Deep Six came to be, Ziva, listening intently.

* * *

Decided Tim wasn't always afraid of heights, he was a bit adventurous/daring while still a teen/in college, perhaps trying to fit in or impress a girl? There will be some mention of Tim's fear of heights in later chapters as well.

I like that Tim is an author. I hate that it was a subject of ridicule among his teammates (geesh, no wonder why people hate showing what they write), and that not much came from it, other than murder. Even the money he made he 'lost' from investing (okay, kinda understand, can't really have an wealthy agent, most would quit and/or write full time).

7-18-18


	23. Wrong Jethro (J23)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Ziva will be right out," Tim stated as he exited their room and met Tony in the hallway.

"Probie," Tony greeted, "Glad to see you survived."

"Why wouldn't I?" a puzzled McGee ask, "You were the one she said she probably couldn't resist killing."

"Ha ha. Seriously, close quarters with the mossoud ninja? More reasons why you might not survive than would," he retorted. "So how did you sleep?"

"Fine."

"Really, now?"

"Yes."

"Ziva's snoring didn't bother you?" Tony questioned in disbelief.

Tim shrugged, "Didn't even notice it."

"Huh, that's weird."

"What's weird?" Ziva asked as she exited the room, before looking at Tim and asking, "You have a key?"

"Yep," he said, pulling it out of his pocket, to show Ziva who then closed the door to their room, making sure it was locked.

"So, where are we going?" Tony asked as he followed the duo.

"The guy at the desk said there's a park about half a block away, to the east. Hopefully it will work for us."

"Jog there to warm up?" Ziva asked Tim, who automatically nodded, causing the two to take off, Tony right behind them.

"Seems so strange to do this without Jethro," Tim commented, partly to tease Ziva, but also because it was true.

Ziva laughed at his comment, giving his arm a quick swipe of her hand, knowing he would never let her forget how she teased him about preferring the dogs company to his own, "I do miss him."

Tony frowned at both the comment and his teammate's actions, "We can always give the boss a call," he commented.

"He's talking about his dog," Ziva clarified.

"Oh, right. That makes more sense," Tony said, refusing to be embarrassed over the misunderstanding. Of course, he could always blame Abby, she's the one who named the dog. "Who's taking care of McMutt, anyway? Abby or your potential girlfriend?"

"Neither. One of my neighbors have a couple of teenagers. They split the duties between them and I pay them when I get home."

"You know Abby would've done it for free."

"Give Abby unfettered access to my apartment with no one else there? I don't think so."

Tony snorted, "Like you have secrets from Abby."

"More than you might think."

Tony frowned, he thought the two were best friends and shared everything with one another, including a coffin once upon a time, "Like what?"

"If I tell you then they wouldn't be secrets, now would they?"

"C'mon, I wouldn't tell Abby."

"If I haven't told Abby, what makes you think I would share them with you? Besides, you are already aware of the potential girlfriend as you call her, that's more than Abby knows."

"Whoa, really?" Tony paused for a moment in surprise, quickly catching up to the pace the other two had set, "You didn't tell her you were seeing someone?"

Tim shrugged before quietly stating, "It hasn't come up."

"Huh," Tony shook his head to get his mind back on the initial topic. "Well, why didn't you ask the potential to dog sit again? Don't you trust her with Jethro?"

"Of course I do, I trust her with my life," Tim stated unequivocally, his face displaying the sincerity of his words.

"So you don't trust her alone in your apartment then? What did she do last weekend, rearrange your CD collection? Or perhaps you are keeping secrets from her as well?"

Tim snorted, "She didn't do anything and I trust her in my apartment. In fact, she has a key s-"

"I thought you said she wasn't your girlfriend? Why is she moving in?"

"She's not moving in," Tim denied, "I just gave her a key so she can let herself in if I'm unavailable."

"Unavailable how?"

Tim shrugged, "She stops by and I'm walking Jethro, she won't have to wait outside for me."

"Probably comes in handy if you leave work late and you're meeting at your place, as well," Ziva offered. "Especially since you don't have your car and have to either wait for me to bring you home or take public transportation."

"Oh, yeah, I can see that, and since she's been a friend for a while, I guess you're not giving your key to a stranger," Tony agreed. "So, no secrets?"

"Of course there are secrets," Tim snapped, "We've only been on a few dates and are still getting to know one another, but I trust her not to snoop. If she wants to know something, I'm sure she will ask."

A blushing Ziva elbowed Tim to point out the entrance to the park, after checking the roads, the trio made their way into the park and increased their pace, not leaving much energy for talking. After a half hour, they found their way back to the park entrance, where they once more crossed the road before jogging back to the hotel.

"That was a good run," Tony admitted, as they entered the hotel. "It's not often I run with others."

Ziva laughed, "Jethro's a better running companion," she said with a grin at Tim.

Tony frowned, "You go running with the boss?" he questioned, before remembering his earlier misunderstanding, "Or do you mean McMutt?"

"The latter," Tim supplied, rolling his eyes, as they entered the elevator, pressing the button for their floor.

"Why? How?"

"Ziva's drives over to my place early, we take a run with Jethro before heading into work. **"**

"Oh. Is your potential girlfriend aware of this? Or is this one of the secrets you mentioned?"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Yes, she knows, and she has no issues with it."

"Uh-huh. And why isn't she watching Jethro?"

"She was unavailable due to her work schedule."

"Hmm, and what does she do again?"

"Nice try, Tony," Tim smirked, as he removed his room key from his pocket and opened the door, allowing Ziva to enter first, "But I'm not gonna tell ya."

* * *

All four agents met in the hotel dining room for breakfast. It didn't take long for Tony to try to continue their conversation from earlier, "C'mon, Probie, give me something, her name, her job, how you met."

"Nope," Tim said as he began filling his plate from the buffet.

"Why not?" Tony asked as he echoed Tim's action before following him back to their table.

"Because if I tell you that she's a nurse or a fourth grade teacher you will check every hospital or school for likely candidates. You would then find ways to meet and interrogate them, trying to narrow it down. You will continue to do things like that until you figure out who it is."

"Ah," Tony gloated, "So you fear my investigative skills. Understandable," he replied knowingly, with a nod of agreement.

"I hope you put as much effort into this case, DiNozzo," Gibbs injected, "as you would McGee's personal life."

"Of course, I will, boss," Tony stated with a smile, before turning to McGee. "So, a nurse or a school teacher, is it? I can see you with someone wholesome and innocent like that."

Gibbs smirked knowingly at his words, a fact that Tony missed since he was focused on Tim. Ziva smiled in amusement, this was more fun than she thought it would be, she realized, listening to Tony try to extract information from Tim.

After breakfast the team quickly packed up and checked out of the hotel, ready to follow up on some local leads regarding the case before heading back to the Navy Yard.

* * *

The drive from Norfolk passed much quicker than the drive there, Tim realized. Most likely that was due to his companion. He drove, again, but this time, it was Ziva in the passenger seat. Conversation between the two had stopped. They seemed to be able to talk about everything, from the case, to Tim's weekend with his family, to their schooling as well as likes and interests. It seemed to Tim that the only thing they didn't discuss was _the plan._

* * *

7-24-18


	24. Grocery Games (J24)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Night," Tim and Ziva called in unison as they went to leave for the evening after being dismissed for the day, they had done as much as they could on the case, and surprisingly, it was still fairly early.

"Night," Tony responded automatically before looking up, "Hey, Probie, you want to join me for pizza and a beer tonight? I'll drive you home after," he offered.

"Thanks, Tony, but I have plans."

"A non-date date?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Dinner and grocery shopping."

"Without a car, that should be fun," Tony smirked.

"It's not, which is why I've put it off for so long," he admitted. "Luckily, Ziva has some shopping to do and is letting me tag along. I figure I'll buy her dinner as a thank you," he smiled.

"Timothy, I told you, you do not have to buy me dinner to thank me. Your words are enough. I am more than happy to help, after all, you are a good friend."

Tony snorted, "Just hope your potential girlfriend understands that. After hearing about your past with Abby and all the times you and Ziva have dinner together, she'll either never trust you at work or relegate you to the friend zone and keep you there."

"Hmm," Tim smirked, "Maybe I should've seen if was available to take me shopping. It could be a good way to learn more about her. Her likes, dislikes," he shrugged.

" _Now_ , you're thinking. If you can survive a bit longer without milk, bread, and eggs, I suggest you call her tonight and schedule that trip."

Tim looked at Ziva who simply smirked back, "Does not matter to me who you choose to shop with. But whatever you decide, we should head out now."

Tim nodded and followed Ziva into the elevator and to her car.

"So, are you going to ask the potential girlfriend to help you?" Ziva smirked.

"Do you think she would?"

"Who could resist those eyes?" Ziva asked with a laugh.

"So far, just about everyone I've met, including my mother," Tim retorted. "Besides, you heard Tony, I need to _call_ her. She can't see my eyes if I ask her on the phone."

"Ah, well, lucky for you, I cannot resist those eyes," she teased, smiling softly at him.

"I'll remember that the next time I need a favor," he snorted, since he doubted her words. "Of course, since I don't want to disappoint or lie to Tony," he started as he took out his phone and pressed the option for speed dial three.

"Hey, there, My Elf Lady," Tim said after Ziva answered her phone, "I was hoping you could help me with something…"

It was very strange having a phone conversation when you were sitting in a car next to that person, Tim realized. After his 'potential girlfriend' agreed to go grocery shopping with him, the two hung up the phone, looked at each other before laughing. "God, I can't wait to tell Tony about this," Tim commented between laughs.

"Make sure you mention that she finds your eyes irresistible," Ziva suggested to a blushing Tim who just shook his head and changed the subject. Once more, conversation between the couple flowed easily, something Tim was still surprised by. He meant what he had said to Gibbs last Friday, surprised that they hadn't run out of things to say with all the time they had spent together and the conversing they had done.

"Do you have a lot of shopping to do?" Tim asked as they entered the store.

Ziva shrugged, "A few odds and ends, you?"

"Not too much, want to share a cart or go our separate ways and meet up at the register?"

"We can work together, as we have recently proved, we do that fairly well," she grinned, causing Tim to smile back at her.

"It's always more fun when someone else is there," he admitted, "Too bad for you, we can't bring Jethro into the store."

Ziva smirked at the reminder of her jest from their morning runs. "I'll grab a cart," she said before stepping away momentarily only to return a few minutes later with an empty carriage.

The two conversed as they walked down the aisles, sharing recipes and food preparation tips with each other.

"Tim, how do you feel about tacos?"

"I like them, why?" he responded absently, perusing the fresh fruit and vegetables.

"I was thinking of making them for dinner tomorrow," she stated, the 'as long as we aren't working late on a case', automatically understood.

"That's fine," Tim said, before a thought came to him, "Um,"

"What?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I, ah, no guacamole for me, please."

Ziva glared at him for a moment, to her, that was one of the best things about tacos, "You do not like it?"

"I've never had it," he sheepishly began.

She grinned, eager to fix that, "Ah, then you must try it. I have a great recipe."

"Ziva-"

She just raised her hand, dismissing his words as she interrupted, "I insist, you at least try it. This recipe is amazing," she said, cutting him off.

"Ziva-"

"It has-"

"Ziva, I can't have it," Tim interrupted, placing one finger on her lips to try to keep her silent so he could explain, "I'm allergic to avocados." Having said what he needed, he then removed his finger, thankful that Ziva hadn't removed it herself, not just from her lips, but from his hand, something he was confident she was capable of doing.

"Oh. I see," not sure what else to say, and embarrassed that she hadn't given him an opportunity to explain, but instead had ignored him.

Tim smiled, "Is that a deal breaker?"

Ziva pondered that for a moment, glad that Tim had forgiven her and was now joking about it. "Since you are allergic, no," she said with a smile, as she picked up a few more items and placed them in the cart. "If you had otherwise refused to try it or did not like my recipe, my answer might have been different."

Tim snorted, "Never thought I'd be grateful for an allergy, but since it saved me from your ninja skills," he teased, giving a small shrug.

"Any allergies to sour cream?" she asked.

"Nope, and I like that, so you if you have recipe…" Tim's voice trailed off as he grinned at her. "You know, you can still have your guacamole," he offered.

She smiled at him, before asking, "How bad is your allergy to avocados?"

"Not too severe, a small dob of it accidentally on my plate will make me sick for a bit; I need to ingest a lot of it to have a really bad reaction."

Ziva smiled, suspecting that he was grossly understating the case, still, as long as they were careful, "Then I will make it a head of time and be sure to that it is kept separate from everything else, just to make sure you're safe. I would hate to ruin our evening with a trip to the hospital."

"Boss will kill you if you put me in the hospital," Tim grinned, "Though it would be an interesting way to let Tony in on things."

"I think we can come up with more subtle and less painful for you ways," Ziva laughed, "Plus, I don't want to risk anything interfering with our Valentine plans for this weekend."

"If you don't want to put him at risk, make sure you thoroughly brush your teeth after, young lady, in fact, best to use mouth wash, as well," a nearby grandmother figure advised, "Kissing could have the same effect as if he partook of it himself and I would hate for the two of you to spend your time at the hospital instead of in bed."

Tim could feel the color creep up his neck as embarrassment overtook him. He knew the elderly customer meant well, still, who made comments like that about and to complete strangers?

"Right," Ziva said with a smile towards the older lady before turning to Tim, "Perhaps we should skip the guacamole after all," she teased.

"If I were you," the elderly lady added, "I would skip the tacos as well and go straight to the kissing."

Tim opened his mouth to reply, only to quickly shut it again before shaking his head and walking away, his embarrassment reaching a new level. Dating advice from random strangers at the grocery store, that was new. God help him if Tony ever found out.

Ziva thanked the other customer once more before rushing after Tim. "I am sorry."

"Hey, no need to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong," he said, lifting her chin so he could look her in the eyes, the blush still evident on his cheeks. "I shouldn't have walked away like that, it was rude. I just wasn't expecting that."

"I think it's kind of sweet. And thoughtful. What if we really were dating, I mean, can you imagine if neither one of us had thought of that?"

"True," Tim said. "I just hate that I embarrass so easily," he admitted. "You know, as a kid, I could barely even read a book or watch a movie when I knew the lead character was about to do something embarrassing."

Ziva laughed.

"Hey, I'm serious. I used to hide my eyes from the movie, as if it was a scary part. I could still hear it, but I couldn't watch it. Similar when it came to books. I would have to pause, and put the book down for a few moments and take some deep breaths. It used to take me over ten minutes to get through a paragraph."

"That's cute."

"No, it's embarrassing, even more so if you use that word to describe it," Tim commented dryly.

"Well, I still think it's a good thing, cute, sweet, charming, they all work. Yes, you are easy to tease. And it is sometimes entertaining when you become embarrassed," she admitted, "But, truthfully, it's one of the things I like about you."

"Seriously?" came the skeptic reply, " _Why?_ "

"Yes. People get embarrassed for many reasons. It is a self-conscious emotion, usually because we believe we have not acted like others would or how they or ourselves think we should. I like that you care so much about how you are viewed by others, that you have such high standards for yourself and your actions. The fact that you have no control over it shows how honest it is. How honest you are. Trust me, there is no reason for you to be embarrassed."

"Not to embarrass you again, my dear, but your girlfriend is right. I do apologize for butting in, but the two of you looked like such a cute and nice couple that I would've hated to see your evening and possibly your Valentine's Day ruined."

"Thank you," Tim replied, refusing to turn away, even as his face reddened. "And I apologize for walking away, it was very rude of me to do so."

"No, thank you for your understanding," she corrected, before waving goodbye and walking towards the check out. "Enjoy your dinner, and don't forget to brush your teeth," she called out without looking back, "Better yet, kiss him now before you have the guacamole."

"You can't seriously like this?" Tim muttered embarrassingly, causing Ziva to smile.

"I do," she said.

"Good thing she left and didn't hear you practicing those marriage vows," Tim teased.

"I don't know," Ziva began, "I think those vows could use some work. For better or for worse, with or without guacamole, could be a good start."

Tim just laughed and continued their shopping.

"Hmm, since you shared about your avocado allergy, let me see what I can share to even the field so to speak," she commented a few moments later. "I don't have any known allergies," she admitted. "But I do have a strong aversion to cooked carrots. I will gladly snack on them raw, but cook them," she shuddered, "They just taste like a pile of mush to me."

"Mush has a taste?" Tim teased.

"See! It's fun to tease."

"I didn't deny that," Tim argued, "In fact, I teased you earlier, as well, remember? I don't mind the teasing, except for when Tony is relentless," he clarifies. "It's my own embarrassment that well, embarrasses me," he admitted, as he heads towards the produce section.

"Well, next time you feel embarrassed, remember that there really is nothing to be embarrassed about. Who knows, maybe it will work."

"Maybe," he said before rushing towards a display a few feet away and examining the pints.

"Blueberries?" Ziva asked in doubt.

"I love blueberries," he commented.

"Are you sure you weren't trying to get away from me?"

"What? Why would I do that? Besides we came in your car, I wouldn't get too far."

Ziva just looked at him shrewdly.

"Seriously, I love blueberries, and this is a great deal."

"I have never seen you eat a blueberry before," Ziva frowned, something seemed wrong with this scenario.

"Because I usually have them for breakfast or as a snack when at home," he explained, as he placed a few pints in the carriage.

"Ha!" She exclaimed triumphantly as she realized what it was, "I brought you in a blueberry scone once and you wouldn't touch it. Gave it to Tony, actually."

Tim blushed, causing Ziva to smirk triumphantly, "So you were trying to get away from me."

"No! Honestly, I do love blueberries, just not when they are in other things. You know, _scones,_ muffins, pancakes, breads, pies, cereals, things like that."

"Really now?"

"Really. You can even ask my mom if you don't believe me," he offered automatically.

Ziva laughed, "Maybe not your mom, but if I ever see or talk to your sister again," she threatened, leaving the sentence unfinished, allowing Tim to fill in the blanks. "Next time I come over for a run and we have breakfast at your place, you better eat some of those blueberries."

Tim blushed.

"What is it now?"

"You might want to come over tomorrow then, otherwise, I can't guarantee they'll be there after that."

Ziva smirked, "If you eat all of those in one day, I guess you do like blueberries."

"I like to snack on them while I'm working as well. Er, at my desk at home," he clarified when Ziva gave him a confused look. "Gibbs would kill me if my reports were stained purple, like my typewriter or computer."

"Hmm, I'll be sure to check out your typewriter as well," she teased.

* * *

Yes, you can be allergic to avocados.

7-26-18


	25. Chapter 25

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Early the next morning, Tim was awake, ready to go running, Jethro's leash in his hand, as he waited by the doorway to his building for Ziva. Though they hadn't made specific plans to meet up again this morning, he was pretty sure that she would be there. Last week had started a new and fun routine for them, one that he was quickly getting addicted to.

As if on cue she pulled into the lot, giving him a quick nod as she parked the car, exited and locked the door before pocketing the key and meeting up with the two males. After a quick hello to the dog, she turned to Tim. The three took the same route as they had on their previous outings, walking to the park, happily talking and laughing before breaking into a run at the park entrance.

Once the run was finished, they returned to Tim's building, making a stop at Ziva's car for her bag, which Tim, gallantly carried to his apartment. They then began the familiar routine of sharing the bathroom and getting ready for work.

"Hey, Tim, do you mind if I keep a few things here?"

"Not at all," he replied.

"I figured it would be easier to keep a set of toiletries here rather than bringing them in and out almost everyday."

"That's fine with me," he replied, "But you'll still have a bag to carry in every day, I mean, you won't have any work clothes here."

"I know," Ziva replied, with a grin, "But I don't think we're ready for that stage yet."

"But we're at the stage where it is okay for our toothbrushes to mingle?"

Ziva shrugged, "That doesn't take up as much space as clothes would."

Tim just shrugged in return before heading towards the kitchen, smiling and giving a small chuckle when he noticed the plate his friend had prepared for him.

Hearing the sound, Ziva stood in the kitchen doorway, "You said you eat them for breakfast," she stated with a smile.

"And I do," Tim responded, picking up a handful of blueberries and eating them.

"Something else to add to the marriage vows," Ziva smiled, and returned to the living room, "I'm just going to check your typewriter."

"Ziva," Tim said.

"Do not worry, I will not read anything," she called back, "Just checking for blueberry stains."

"There's nothing to see," Tim stopped her, "I didn't write anything last night, haven't done any writing in a bit, actually. Now, come eat breakfast before we're late."

"Very well," she agreed, reaching for the cup of tea Tim had prepared for her, "Thank you."

"No problem. I have another one prepared in a travel mug so you can take it with you to have on the way into work."

"So domesticated," Ziva teased, causing Tim to blush and shrug the comment off.

"When are you going to make that pastry again?" Tim asked.

Ziva smiled, "It is addicting, is it not?"

Tim smiled in agreement, it was very good. "Perhaps next time you can show me how to make it and tell me about the trip you were on when you discovered it."

"I would like that," Ziva admitted. "Perhaps we should do that at my place, then I can also show you pictures from my travels as well."

"Sounds like plan to me."

"Then it is a date," Ziva agreed, smiling at him.

It wasn't long after that that the two of them had finished eating and were in the car heading to the navy yard.

* * *

"Everything okay with Probie?"

"Why would it not be?"

Tony shrugged, "He just seems different today."

"Then maybe you should ask him if everything is okay," Ziva suggested.

"I tried," Tony admitted, "I don't think he heard me. He's really spaced out."

"Hmm," Ziva hummed thoughtfully, "Probably had a good time last night and is caught up in the memories."

Tony frowned before he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "I thought the two of you went grocery shopping?"

"That was the original plan," Ziva replied with a smirk. "He ended up going shopping with his _friend._ Called her from my car and said he had a favor to ask her."

"That's it?" Tony said incredulously. "No, I miss you, would like to see you, just wanted to ask a favor? And it worked?"

"Apparently," Ziva said dryly. "She said she could not resist his eyes."

Tony frowned, "But they were on the phone, how could..."

Ziva shrugged, "Do not ask me, I am just telling you what I heard."

"Hmm," the SFA hummed in thought as he tapped his pen against his chin, "So you saw her, right? What does she look like? A nurse? A school teacher? A librarian?"

"You can tell someone's profession by what they look like?"

"Sometimes," he smirked.

"Well, I could not tell with her," she began, only to change topic when a figure appeared in the corner of her vision, "McGee and I wondered if we could apply the method we used on the cold case from last week to other cases. It might work to help us close them as well."

"Wha-that's a good idea," Tony nodded, when he noticed where Ziva's gaze had drifted to. "Maybe I should get him to look at some of the cases I've been working on."

"Look, yes, do the work for you, no," Gibbs commented as he entered from behind Tony, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.

"Boss!" Tony stated in mock surprise. Due to Ziva's expression, he realized that the older man was behind him, but what he did not know was how Gibbs managed to escape the elevator without him noticing. "Good morning. And I would never have Probie do my work for me."

"Morning," he returned with a curt nod, not bothering to comment on DiNozzo's latter remark.

* * *

"So? What was she like?" Tony asked the moment he and Ziva were alone again.

"Who?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "McGeek's geek."

With a look of amusement portrayed on her face, she asked, "She's a geek?"

"Well, yeah, of course. After all, he said he has known her for years, so I figured they went to school together. And even if they didn't, well, to be friends with him for that long, they must have a lot in common, and since all he does is work, write, online gaming and other geeky pursuits," he concluded with a shrug. "Anyway, did you meet her?"

"We weren't formally introduced," Ziva replied with a smirk.

"So, how did that happen anyway? I thought you were going to take him shopping, or did you get a better offer from guy in tights?"

Ziva's eyes narrowed at the nickname, but she refused to comment on it, "Tim took your advice."

"My advice?" Tony echoed in surprise. "Wow. He must really like her and be serious about this one if he's listening to me."

Ziva frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

Tony shrugged and absently replied 'Just that sometimes I get the feeling that he wants me to shut up."

"Trust me, DiNozzo, we all feel that way sometime," Gibbs stated as he reentered the bullpen.

"Oh, hey boss," Tony said, still surprised that Tim not only _listened_ to him, but took his advice as well.

Ziva scrutinized Tony, "Can you blame him for wanting a few moments of peace?" she asked, gaining Gibbs' attention as well as the SFA's. "Usually when you talk, and it is not about a case, it is to make fun of him or criticize various aspects of his life."

"Hey now, I'm just teasing the guy," Tony defended himself.

"Perhaps that is how you intend it to be," Ziva admitted, "But when it is done constantly and consistently, and no topic is off limits…" she stated, leaving the rest of her sentence unfinished letting them come to their own conclusions.

Before Tony could reply, Tim reentered the bullpen, ending the conversation as they returned to work.

* * *

"So, you never told me how grocery shopping went last night." Tony stated, digging for information.

"It was grocery shopping," Tim remarked, "Nothing out of the ordinary usually happens."

"Really? Nothing?"

Well," Tim began, drawing out the word, "I did find a great deal on blueberries, $3 for two pints."

"I don't care about your blueberries," Tony snickered. "I heard you had the lovely…What was her name again? Accompany you."

"Nice try, but I'm not telling you her name. I told you I'm too smart to fall for that."

Tony's eyes narrowed, "One of these days you might."

"Whatever," Tim mumbled, "And how did you know that we went shopping together? Are you following me?" Tim turned away so Tony couldn't see the amusement on his face. Ziva had texted him earlier, sharing her conversations with Tony.

"What? No! I have better things to do with my time. If you must know, Ziva mentioned that you called her from her car and that she met you there."

"Oh," Tim stated quietly, before admitting, "Actually, it was kinda fun and informative."

"Really now? So what did you learn?"

"Yes, really. We learned about each other's likes and dislikes about food, shared some memories that different items brought back to us."

"Like what?" Tony really couldn't imagine a grocery store as a setting for a date.

"She loves vegetables, but despises cooked carrots. Loves cherry flavored things."

"You don't say," Tony smirked.

"Do you have to be so sophomoric?" Tim asked, rolling his eyes. "Soda, juices, Italian ices, jello, candy, things like that."

"And what weird food quirks of yours did you share?"

"Mostly that I like blueberries, but not in other foods, and that I'm allergic to avocadoes."

"That's a thing?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"Huh. How'd that come up anyway?"

"She offered to make Tacos for dinner for us one night," Tim admitted. "Said she had a great recipe for guacamole that I had to try."

"Not even officially your girlfriend yet and she's already trying to kill you," Tony laughed. "So how did she take your refusal?"

"She knew it was something that couldn't be helped, so she overlooked it, of course it probably helped that I'm not allergic to sour cream as well." Tim joked.

"So she still gonna cook tacos for the two of you? That's nice. Though it's too bad she didn't mention making breakfast for you sometime."

Tim blushed, but didn't answer.

"Probie?" Tony asked, borderline speechless. Did that blush mean what he thought it did? "Has she made you breakfast? This morning perhaps? Or is that planned for the morning after the tacos?"

Tim remained silent.

"Come on Probie, spill. I know there's something to share, you don't turn that shade of red for no reason."

"There was an older lady doing her own grocery shopping," Tim began, deciding that story was safer than mentioning the morning pastry lesson that he and Ziva had talked about. "She heard us talking about my allergy."

"So?"

"She mentioned what a cute couple we were and then warned," Tim paused, barely catching himself from saying Ziva's name, "my _friend_ to make sure she thoroughly brushed her teeth after dinner if she had the guac, since it would be a shame if we had to spend the night at the hospital rather than her place since kissing me could cause a reaction."

"Oh that is priceless," Tony laughed boisterously, "I wish I was there."

"I'm glad you weren't," Tim retorted, still bright red. "It was embarrassing enough as it was."

"What was your girlfriend's reaction to that advice?" A curious Tony asked, still laughing.

"She's not my girlfriend, and better than mine," Tim muttered, causing Tony's curiosity to spike higher. "She thanked the elderly lady for her concern before she apologized for her part in embarrassing me, then said that the fact that I get embarrassed is one of the things she likes about me."

"That's an interesting line."

"It's not a line," Tim snapped.

"Well, of course you're gonna believe that."

"It's the truth. She has no reason to give me a line," Tim added honestly. After all, they weren't really dating so there was no reason for lines or games.

"Yeah, women _love_ men who glow red."

Tim rolled his eyes, and decided not to waste his breath by replying. Luckily, the computer chimed notifying them that something was found.

"Saved by the bell," Tony smirked as Tim focused on the screen, hoping it was a lead in Tony's case.

* * *

"You're right," Ziva remarked as she loaded up her fork with more food, "This does seem better every time."

The two had decided to order 'the kitchen sink' again and bring it home, well, back to Tim's place, both of them too tired to cook. This time, Ziva had taken a look at the menu and had an input into the choices Tim ordered. Conversation was light as the two eagerly dug into their food.

"I can't believe with all the food we bought yesterday, we ordered out," Tim muttered, as he handed Ziva a glass of wine before sitting down next to her on the couch, radio playing music in the background. After eating their full, the couple quickly cleaned up the kitchen and retreated to the living room.

"It was an exhausting day," Ziva replied. "I know that I mentioned cooking tacos, but I really didn't want to cook or be on my feet any more. I feel like I walked the equivalent of the entire country."

Tim smiled, for once he felt grateful that Gibbs had kept him at his desk to work his magic on the computers. Poor Ziva and Tony had canvassed a three block radius hoping to find someone or something to provide insight into the cold case. "Here," he said, putting down his glass of wine and patting his lap, "Bring your feet up here."

Ziva scrunched her nose, "Why?"

"I thought you trusted me," he teased, adding a soft, "Just do it. What do you think I'm going to do? I have no doubt that if I do try something you don't approve of, I'll be incapacitated in minutes."

"Seconds," she corrected with a grin as she gingerly placed her feet in Tim's lap.

"Okay, now lean back and relax," Tim ordered softly, as he began to lightly rub her aching feet.

"Hmm, that is nice," Ziva muttered, eyes drifting shut.

Tim just smiled and continued the foot massage.

* * *

7-29-18


	26. Thursday Feb 12, McNotSoSingle (J26)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"So, McFriendzone, how's the relationship going?" Tony asked Thursday morning in lieu of a greeting, when he realized it was just the two of them in the bullpen.

"Fine," Tim responded, not wanting to get into a conversation with the older agent.

"You do know what F.i.n.e. stands for don't you?" Tony smirked.

Tim rolled his eyes, "Don't think it applies in this case, since I was describing a relationship, a thing, and not an individual, however, to answer your question, things are going very well."

"If it was really going very well," he said, trying to imitate Tim's voice on the last two words, "you, my friend, would be floating or at least arriving late to work," he said, eye brows wiggling suggestively.

Tim shook his head, "Not much chance of that, she gets up as early as I do, sometimes earlier."

"Know this from personal experience? Tony inquired.

Tim pretended he didn't hear that comment, choosing not to answer.

"So, how many dates have the two of you been on?"

Tim shrugged, trying to focus on the file in front of him.

"C'mon, Probie, I just want to know."

"Honestly, I don't know. I haven't counted" Tim admitted with a frown, he honestly wouldn't know _how_ to calculate that number. Did all the times they got carry out and returned to his apartment count as 'dates' or just the times they went out to restaurants? What about their morning runs with Jethro and breakfasts? "We've spent a lot of time together," he finally admitted. "Does each of those count as a date?"

Tony snorted, "And people think you're the sensitive one," he muttered. "How are you going to celebrate those milestones if you don't keep track?"

"I know the important dates-days," Tim clarified.

"Oh, yeah? Her birthday?"

"Yes."

Tony rolled his eyes, "I meant, when is it?"

"Not telling you, Tony."

Tony was surprised that Tim had really stuck to his guns about not sharing any personal information about his girlfriend, correction, _potential_ girlfriend, "When you met?"

"Yes," Tim admitted tentatively, drawing the word out. He knew the date of both when they first met as well as the day Ziva became a member of Gibbs' team, making her a part of his daily life, though neither were thought to be happy occasions. Don't misunderstand him, it is the circumstances that brought them together that weren't worth celebrating. He's glad Ziva is in his life, but both evens were tainted by death, Kate's and Ziva's brother, Ari.

"You sure about that?" Tony asked, suspecting something behind the younger man's answer.

"I'm sure, but we didn't meet under the best of circumstances," Tim admitted.

"I see," Tony nodded in understanding. He was even more curious as to who McGeek's mystery girl was and how they met. Introduced by an ex? Perhaps Probie had a klutz moment and spilled hot coffee on her and then inappropriately touched her trying to clean it up? Or maybe they met at a therapist's office, that would explain why he was staying silent on the details. "Perhaps that is why the two of you didn't pursue a relationship at that time? Why you two never hooked up before?"

"Perhaps," Tim acknowledged.

"Okay, so do you know when the two of you started to pursue something more?"

Tim thought about this latest question, if by more he meant a way to avoid the teasing, then "Yes."

"McGee, you're killing me here," Tony groaned. "I need something more here, a date."

Tim frowned, would giving Tony that information help or hinder the plan? Weren't he and Ziva trying to make Tony believe they've been seeing each other for a while?

"Fine," Tony pouted, when Tim remained silent, "But you owe me an answer on this one, and I mean, details," he added with a pointed look at the younger agent. "I'm sure that you've finally kissed her, so first kiss… _real_ kiss," he added.

Tim didn't say a word, nor did he look away, although he sincerely wished to run away. He knew Tony was going to ask about this again.

That very first night he and Ziva had discussed this topic and that it would be necessary, but other than kisses on the cheek and a quick peck on the lips, they had avoided it. Why hadn't he brought it up? It's been a week since then, and the two had spent plenty of time together away from work to make sure it happened, yet neither had.

Even with Tony mentioning it again on Monday, Tim and Ziva had avoided the issue. Once more, it seemed like that was a mistake.

"Probie?" Tony asked, jolting Tim out of his thoughts. Still meeting the older man's gaze, Tim just shook his head.

"Okay, I'm guessing that means you still haven't kissed yet and not that you are refusing or unable to speak, nor that you are having difficulty remembering the kiss. Cause if it's a memory thing, well, that doesn't hold much hope for your relationship," Tony concluded with a grin.

"And the fact that we haven't kissed yet does?"

"Only you know the answer to that," Tony commented with a shrug, "It could mean trouble. Tell me, do you _want_ to kiss her?"

Tim avoided Tony's eyes, glad that Ziva wasn't in the bullpen.

"McGee, answer the question."

"Yes," Tim admitted softly.

Tony nodded at the honest reply, "And why haven't you?"

Tim frowned, "Proba-"

Tony stopped his words and thoughts, "Don't think about it, don't analyze, just answer the question. Why haven't you kissed her yet?"

"Don't want to ruin things. Don't want her to feel uncomfortable around me. Don't want to lose her, even if all I can have is friendship," Tim blurted out, surprising himself.

Tony nodded, he had been expecting an answer like that, sometimes probies were predictable, he chuckled to himself. "You need to decide if it's worth the risk. Does it seem like she's on board?"

Tim shrugged, "I would guess so, she's the one who suggested we do-date," Tim finally responded.

Tony looked at Tim, wondering what he was going to say before finally smirking and saying, "I don't think you have anything to worry about, you just have to go for it, especially since she's keeping yogurt in your fridge," Tony added with a smirk. "Just like when answering the question, don't think about it, don't analyze it, just do it." Tony ordered, falling silent when Gibbs and Ziva returned to the bullpen.

"McGee, you're with Ziva," Gibbs announced, causing the young male agent to snap his head up in surprise. With a quick look around the room, Tim saw Ziva grab her bag and head to the elevator, an action he quickly imitated after a glance at nod at the SSA.

* * *

Tim and Ziva had spent most of the morning. following leads and interviewing witnesses. It was well past lunch time when the duo finally returned.

"Shameful," Tony muttered as he watched both Tim and Ziva eat at their desks. When neither agent responded, he stood up and approached one of his coworkers. Leaning against her desk, he peered at her food before doing the same to McGee's. "You guys were out for over four hours and didn't even think of stopping for food? Disgraceful," he concluded, with a shake of his head.

Tim shrugged, "Nothing I thought of sounded as good as what I knew I had brought with me," he admitted. "I actually couldn't wait to get back to eat it."

Ziva just shrugged, not answering due to her full mouth.

Tony frowned, "Couldn't you just have had it for dinner tonight?" he asked, before looking at Tim, "Or do you have a hot date?" he teased, when he didn't get a response.

Tony took another look at the food, "It just looks like some Italian dish to me," he stated, "Don't get me wrong, I love Italian food, but not even Italian leftovers can compare with freshly prepared pizza, or ribs or tacos or-"

"We get your point," Tim interrupted, knowing how Tony could go on. "And it is Italian. Sausage, meatball, different kinds of pasta, mixed with a red sauce and covered in mozzarella cheese."

Tony's mouth watered, that did sound good, and now that he thought about it, smelled good as well. "And you Ziva? What's so special about your meal?"

"Chicken, pasta, and broccoli in an alfredo sauce," she said, licking her fork. "It is very good, even reheated."

"You both have leftover Italian food for lunch," he observed, eyes narrowing. "Did you guys go out for dinner last night on the way home? And if you were going for Italian, why didn't you invite me?"

"We did not go out last night," Ziva responded, "McGee needed to get home."

"Probie?"

"I…ate at home," Tim finally answered, not meeting Tony's gaze.

Tony's eyes narrowed again, Tim was hiding something from him. "Alone?"

"I…no," he admitted.

"Human companionship?"

"Yes."

"Of the female persuasion?"

"Yes," Tim repeated, not meeting Tony's eyes.

"So another midweek non-date date with the potential girlfriend," he smirked. "What did you two do after dinner?"

"It was a last minute thing," Tim admitted. "I didn't want to go out anywhere, just wanted to relax and unwind, and invited her to join me for takeout at my place. Afterwards, we just relaxed in the living room, listening to music and talking."

"Nice. That's good for a midweek date, especially when you both have to work the next day. I, myself, like to snuggle together and watch a movie, a scary one is a great reason to hold her in my arms," he paused before looking at Tim, "You're blushing," Tony stated, eyes narrowing, "Something happened," he announced, leaning closer to Tim, "You said you haven't kissed yet."

Tim didn't reply as his blush deepened.

"Tony," Ziva tried to intervene.

"Hush, Ziva," Tony waved her away, "Spill it, Probie."

Tim sighed, knowing the only way he'll get out of this situation is either divine intervention, as in a hot case, Gibbs returning, or if he tells Tony what happened. "After dinner we were sitting down, she mentioned that her feet were hurting her, so I rubbed her feet for her."

"That's all that happened?"

Tim shrugged, "She might have fallen asleep on me for a few minutes" he admitted.

"And you still didn't kiss her?" Tony asked incredulously, "I know 12 year olds who have gone farther than you."

"Tony!" Ziva hissed, "That's uncalled for."

"Whatever," he replied dismissively. "So why did her feet hurt? What does she do again?"

Tim smirked, feeling empowered by Ziva's attempt to defend him, "Nice try, Tony, but I told you, I'm smarter than that."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Tony shrugged, before warning his teammate, "I will find out someday."

"And until then, I'll relish every second," Tim smiled as he put another forkful of his lunch in his mouth.

* * *

"So, Abs, how are you doing?" Tony asked nervously as he kept looking over his shoulder. He had been wanting to talk to Abby most of the day, but wasn't able to find a legitimate reason to come down to the lab. Even now, his team didn't know where he was. He had stood, made a comment about stretching his legs and walked away.

Abby eyed him suspiciously, "Good," she finally replied.

"Good, good, that's good," he stated, nodding the entire time he spoke.

"Okay, Tony, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing _good,_ " she retorted. "You just used the word good three times in one sentence. That means something ba-Oh my God, did someone get hurt? Gibbs? Ziva?" she asked in a panic.

"No and no," he answered.

Abby sighed in relief, "Oh, thank God."

He frowned, "You didn't ask about everyone."

"You're here, so obviously you're not hurt," she observed.

"McGee," Tony pointed out.

"He doesn't get hurt," she said. "He's not allowed."

"I don't think it works that way," Tony commented dryly, "but you're right, he's not hurt, physically at least."

"What does that mean?"

"McNotsosingle has been seeing someone," Tony announced, surprised when Abby just shrugged in response.

"Nothing wrong with that," she added when Tony continued to watch her.

"I'm worried."

"Why? Who is she?"

"I can't say," Tony admitted. "He won't admit to much, but I get the feeling that it's getting serious, or at least that he is."

"It can't be that serious," Abby argued, "He hasn't talked to me about her."

Tony just shrugged, not knowing what to say that wouldn't get the scientist upset.

"How long have they been seeing each other?" Abby finally asked.

"It's pretty new," he confessed, "Beginning of the month."

"Just in time for Valentine's Day," Abby smirked. "You think she's using him for the holiday?"

"I didn't until now," Tony frowned as he thought about Tim's new relationship. "It did seem sudden though, and he admitted that it was her idea that they date," he explained. "And I know he's planning on making the night special for her, and knowing McGee, he'll probably send or give her flowers or some kind of gift."

Abby looked at him, "It's still early, I give it two weeks."

"I don't know, Abs, he _really_ likes her."

Abby narrowed her eyes, "How do you know?"

"He's taking my advice, about Valentine's Day and other outings," Tony drawled.

'Oh,' Abby mouthed, too surprised to actually speak. Shaking herself out of her shock, she smirked and replied, "I hope you gave him good advice, then."

"Of course," Tony smirked in reply. "I wouldn't steer him wrong," he continued before they both laughed.

"Then I give it a week."

"Abby," he warned.

"Relax, Tony, even McGee can't fall for a stranger that fast."

"Yeah, about that," Tony reluctantly explained, "She's not a stranger."

"She's not?" Abby froze in alarm, thinking about who her Timmy has been spending time with lately. "Ziva? Timmy and Ziva are dating?"

"What?" Tony responded in shock. "No! Why would you think that?"

"You said it wasn't a stranger, the only person I know he's spending time with is Ziva. You also said you can't tell me who she is, I figured Ziva threatened you if you told anyone, especially Gibbs, you know, rule 12," she explained.

"I can't say because _I don't know_ ," Tony corrected her assumption. "All I know is that it's someone he's known for a while,"

"Ziva." Abby injected.

"Didn't meet under the best of circumstances,"

"Ziva." Abby pointed out.

"But later became friends with,"

"Ziva." Abby sang.

"And recently started seeing to date to see what's there."

"Hmm," Abby pondered, "Could be Ziva."

"Would you stop that!" Tony hissed.

"Why?"

"It's not Ziva," he snapped. "Seriously the Geek and the Ninja Assassin dating? No way."

"Hmm, about as likely as the Goth and the Geek," Abby reminded him.

Tony frowned, but ignored her statement. "One of them would've told us. Besides, McGee wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret from us."

"Oh No? He didn't tell us about his book, never told us he had a sister, nev-."

"Okay, so maybe he can keep a secret," Tony reluctantly admitted, remembering that there was a difference between lying and keeping a secret, still, his two partners wouldn't date without telling him. "Maybe I should contact his sister to see what she knows about Probie's girl."

"You really think she'll tell you?" Abby asked doubtfully.

Tony shrugged, "Depends on if she likes his girlfriend and how she's currently feeling about her brother," he shared. "If she's feeling protective, then no, but if she wants to annoy him, yes. Either way, it could be worth a try."

"Maybe you should try solving this case," Gibbs said, entering the lab, Caf-Pow in hand.

"Hey, Gibbs, whatcha got?" she asked, smirking as she asked him what he usually asks her.

"Words of wisdom for you two," he offered, glaring at them. "Leave McGee and his personal life alone."

Tony frowned, Gibbs wouldn't suggest that unless there was a reason. "Is everything all right?" he worriedly asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why?" Gibbs questioned, staring at his senior agent.

"Because I need to know that he's okay."

Gibbs searched his face, finding the answer he wanted, he answered, "Everything is fine, but if the two of you keep invading his privacy, I can't guarantee that will last."

Tony nodded in understanding, the worried frown lingering on his face.

* * *

"Thank you again, for everything," Tim began, as Ziva stopped her car so he could exit. His car was finally ready and Ziva had agreed to drop him off so he would once more have wheels.

"I have told you before, there is no need to thank me. I was happy to help," Ziva returned. "In fact, I will miss the company on the ride in and on the morning runs."

Tim gave a wry grin, "You mean Jethro, don't you?"

Ziva laughed and returned his grin. "Go," she ordered, "I will follow you back to your place."

"There's no need for that," Tim returned.

"Considering you have been without a car for almost two weeks, it is probably a good idea that I shadow you in case something goes wrong."

Tim snorted, "For what I'm about to pay, nothing better go wrong."

Ziva smiled at him, "I did not say I meant something wrong with your car," she pointed out. "Perhaps you have forgotten how to drive such a car during that time."

Tim's mouth dropped in surprise at her teasing words, "Why you," he muttered, causing her to laugh.

"Go," she ordered again, still laughing, "Besides, we should probably talk about the plan."

* * *

After arriving at his apartment, without incident, the two set to work making that night's dinner, tacos. While Tim walked Jethro, Ziva began cooking the meat and slicing the vegetables. When he returned, Tim began setting the table, including pouring them both a glass of wine. Once it was ready, the two sat down to eat.

"No guacamole?" Tim asked, looking around. "I told you it was okay."

"I know, but I didn't want to take the chance. It wasn't worth the risk," she added.

Tim gave a slight nod of agreement as he stared at his plate, hoping she wouldn't notice his embarrassment as the elderly woman's comment echoed through his mind. Was Ziva thinking about her comment as well?

"Especially since I didn't get a chance to make it earlier at my apartment," Ziva continued. "If I made it here, who knows what could've happened or where bits of avocado could end up. I would hate for it to contaminate something accidentally and hurt you."

"Right," Tim commented, believing he had just received his answer.

"You ready for Valentine's Day?" Ziva asked, changing the subject.

"I think so," Tim stated, "I even have a few back-up plans in case we get a call interrupting our evening."

Ziva's eye brow rose in surprise, "Impressive," she remarked. "Are you going to share this plan?"

"Nope," Tim grinned.

"Can you give me something?" she pleaded.

"You'll see," Tim returned before frowning, "Hopefully, not this weekend," he clarified, "But it is something that we can do another time."

"Will you at least tell me what we are doing that you are hoping will not get interrupted?"

"Nope," he smirked.

"Ugh! I think you are enjoying this."

"Absolutely not," Tim denied.

She glared at him, "And you still cannot lie."

Tim shrugged unabashedly, well aware of that fact.

The conversation flowed easily between the couple. They talked about their families, their childhoods, their schooling before conversation drifted to work and eventually Tony. More specifically, their conversations with Tony, and the SFA's curiosity about Tim's 'romance', and focus on the couple's first kiss.

"We need to kiss."

"I know." They both knew the truth of that statement, they knew it had to happen if they wanted the plan to be successful, yet for some reason, the last few days, both were hesitant to initiate it. Despite all the hints and signs, the two hadn't taken that step. Even now, neither moved, they just continued to stare at one another.

Finally Tim sighed, "Come on," he said, pulling her to her feet and leading her to the door and indicated for her to put on her coat.

"Tim, where are we going?" she asked as he ushered her out the door.

"When Tony asks, and he _will_ ask, I refuse to tell him that we kissed for the first time in my apartment, after talking about how we needed to kiss."

Ziva snorted, "Well, I definitely would not mention that last platter of information."

Tim was puzzled for a moment before he realized what she meant, "Tidbit of information, and yes, I wouldn't, still, it's not gonna happen that way."

"So we're going to kiss outside your apartment after discussing it?"

"No, well, yes, outside the apartment, but not in the hallway or on the doorstep or in the parking lot by your car," he slowly explained as they walked by those areas.

"That is a lot of places for it not to happen, but where-"

"We are going for a romantic walk in the moonlight," Tim explained, in a low, soft voice as he took her hand and led her down to the park, before he continued, "where I can mention that the light from the moon illuminated your face, making you appear even more beautiful, something I didn't think was possible. We stopped and looked around, impressed by the majestic image before us, perhaps even searching for a falling star upon which we could make a wish. The wind was blowing your hair in front of your beautiful face; I reached out to tuck an errant strand behind your ear. That hand then skimmed down your cheek till it reached your chin, tilting it up slightly to raise your head. I then slowly leaned down, bending my head to fit my lips over yours, giving you a chance to stop me if you so desired," while he was talking, Tim's thumb absently caressed her palm.

Unknowingly, Ziva held her breath as she automatically walked beside Tim, mesmerized by his words. The moment he took her hand and began describing their first kiss, she had fallen silent, enraptured by his description. The feel of his thumb caressing her palm seemed more intimate at this moment than any previous touch she could remember.

"Our lips touch softly, briefly," he continued, "once, twice, again and again, each time lingering longer and longer. Our teeth nipping at each other's lips; my tongue lightly touching your lips, seeking and gaining entry. Then" Tim stopped talking, blushing as he realized all he had said.

As he had continued talking, she had remained silent, needing, wanting to know more. "Then…" she repeated softly, her tone pleading with him, willing him to continue.

"Then I would tell Tony that the rest is history and none of his business," he concluded abruptly, not meeting her eyes. He had not meant to say all that he had and was afraid to meet her eyes, not knowing what secrets his own would reveal.

Ziva snorted at his words, jolting her out of her own entranced state. "That is not going to work with Tony, you of all people should know that. He will wear you out trying to get more details."

"Down, wear me down."

"Regardless, he will be relentless, so you better have something," she said, grateful that she could blame her own curiosity about what would happen next on Tony. Hand in hand, they continued their walk in silence for a few minutes.

"Then…" Ziva prodded.

After a few moments, Tim began speaking. "Then," he continued, softly, not sure how to continue before sneaking a glance at her. He had to let her know that this was about her, not just some fictional woman in the moonlight, "knowing you, even though you welcomed my kiss and allowed my tongue entry, it wasn't long before yours fought mine for control."

"And?" Ziva inquired seriously. Tim was correct about her actions, she wasn't one to passively participate, something that often caused trouble with her romantic partners.

"And it seemed like we were the only two people left on earth. Everything else faded out of existence, all that mattered was you and me. We would switch between soft tender kisses, and more aggressive, passionate ones, occasionally leaning away to breathe and look into each other's eyes, before our lips were drawn back together. My hands alternated between holding your neck and back, moving to the curve of your sides, and sliding up and down your arms, your hands seemed to do the same. The only way to describe what happened would be to say that it was magical. Everything you could want in a kiss. It was tender yet intense, caring yet passionate, satisfying yet left you craving for more. Eventually it ended, with a few more brief, soft kisses before we separated for the night, leisurely walking back to my apartment, where I saw you to your car, and gave you a final kiss goodnight."

"Sounds nice, promising," she stated, and it honestly did. She couldn't remember the last time she was kissed just to be kissed and not as a precursor to getting her into bed.

"Good," Tim said as he stopped walking and impulsively tugged on her hand, moving her until they faced one another. "You are beautiful," he whispered softly, the words escaping his lips before he could stop them. Then lifting one hand he lightly brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, his subsequent actions imitating the words he had spoken only moments before.

* * *

8-5-18


	27. Friday the 13th, February, E-Card (J27)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"I talked to Abby earlier, she said she didn't get an email card from you yet," Tony mock whispered across the bullpen. Once more, Tim and Tony were the only ones at their desks. Tim believed Gibbs went for coffee, as usual; he wasn't sure where Ziva had gone. The two had barely talked all morning. Tim had to force himself not to stare at her. He knew that if he looked at her the memories of last nights kiss would replay over and over in his mind most likely resulting in one of the following actions: a) he blushed as he remembered the kiss, cluing Tony in that something happened; b) he blurted out an apology for the kiss, regardless of who was around; c) he kissed her again. While he wouldn't mind kissing Ziva again, he knew that work wasn't the place for it, not to mention that it wasn't part of the plan. The first kiss had to happen, Tim had no doubts that Tony would be asking about it again soon, subsequent kisses, thought? Well, no one asked about those. Sure, Tony would probably ask if she stayed over or if he stayed at her place, but he highly doubted kissing would be what Tony asked about.

"I didn't send one," Tim admitted.

Tony stopped and looked at Tim in surprise, "Why not?"

Tim shrugged, "I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

"Oh, come on, probie, I know I teased you that your potential girlfriend might be jealous of your work relationships, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being friendly with them. If she really cared for you and if she knew you at all, she would know that you are one of the good guys. That you are trustworthy. Don't change who you are to make a relationship with her happen. Trust me, it won't work."

Tim smiled, but didn't comment.

"I suppose you didn't send one to Ziva either?"

Tim shrugged once more.

"She's going to be disappointed," Tony admitted, "She told me last year that she really liked receiving it."

"Last year it seemed to make sense, with Valentine's Day falling on a workday, this year, not as much," Tim explained.

"You know, there's still time to send one."

"You could as well," Tim commented.

"Yeah, but if I do it, I'm just copying your idea from last year. If you do it, you're starting or keeping up the tradition.

Tim smiled, he liked the idea of having a tradition, "Maybe," Tim responded, noncommittally.

* * *

"Send them up," Tony spoke into his phone before hanging up and watching Tim as he returned to his desk.

"Probie, did we make a mistake?" The senior agent asked in a sweet voice.

"What?"

"You'll see," he smirked before turning to watch the elevator. Tim and Ziva looked at him before following his gaze.

As the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Tony's grin grew. Leaving the elevator was a delivery girl holding half a dozen balloons, three roses, each a different color, and a small red wrapped present.

"Timothy McGee?" she called as the elevator doors closed behind her. Looking around, for the beneficiary before following the glances in his direction and Tony's waving arms pointing to Tim.

"Er, that's me," Tim said in surprise, looking at the items in her hands.

"These are for you. Please sign," she ordered.

"Are you sure they are for him?" Tony questioned.

"You think they are for you instead?" Ziva inquired. "Perhaps you are jealous."

"No," he denied, though it was unclear which question he was answering. "I just think it's odd that Tim received a delivery. Usually it's the lady's workplace that gets the parade of delivery personnel. When I received the call from security downstairs, I figured McGee filled out the form incorrectly and mixed up the to and from addresses. You know, got the gift for his girl accidently sent to himself."

"I didn't send balloons," Tim softly stated, still looking at the gifts.

"So you sent something," Tony smirked, noticing that Probie did not deny having a girlfriend.

Timothy shrugged but wouldn't admit to anything, causing Tony to groan. "Please tell me it was more than an e-mail card like you sent Ziva and Abby last year."

"I liked the e-card he sent last year," Ziva voiced.

When Timothy still didn't comment, Tony just shook his head as he reached for the card attached to Tim's gift. Luckily the delivery girl was quicker and moved it out of his reach.

"Sign here," she repeated, pocketing the slip after he did so and placing the delivery on the far end of his desk, away from Tony. "Normally I would wish you a Happy Valentine's Day," she commented, continuing with a pointed look at her delivery, "But something tells me it will be for you," she concluded with a sad smile, leaving a shocked team behind her.

"Probie, you need to go get her number. She was totally into you," his teammate hissed.

"Tony! I'm seeing someone," he said, still staring unbelievably at his gift.

"Yeah, it looks like you are," Tony admitted, looking at Tim's desk. "You might've made it out of the friend zone. 'Course, none of those roses are red, so it's hard to say," he teased.

"Well?" He asked, "Are they from her?"

"I would hope so," Ziva commented, "I cannot imagine our Timothy wooing one girl and dangling another."

"Oh, maybe it's a secret admirer," Tony speculated, "trying to get your attention and using Valentine 's Day to do so."

Ziva snorted, "Thanks to you, everyone in this building knows Timothy has been seeing someone, why would they pick now to get his attention? It's bound to fail."

"Maybe his admirer doesn't work with us."

"Timothy has told us numerous times that he usually doesn't share where he works with people. Since it was delivered here, it would have to be from either a co-worker or a close friend or family member."

"Or himself," Tony added. "Maybe he sent them to himself. Not as a mistake," he added when Ziva went to protest, "but to make it look like he had a girlfriend."

Ziva looked at Tony in disbelief before looking at Tim. She then shook her head, "Look at him," she ordered, pointing to a motionless, jaw dropped, shocked McGee who was still staring at the balloons, flowers, and wrapped present. "He is not faking that reaction. This delivery was a surprise to him."

"Okay, I'll give you that," Tony admitted. "But still I wonder about this girl. I mean, he hasn't even told us her name. Perhaps she doesn't exist."

"Then we are all hallucinating right now?"

"Huh?"

"The delivery," Ziva responded impatiently. "If she does not exist, who sent that? You already ruled out Timothy, and a secret admirer. I seriously doubt that his sister or mother sent them, so that would leave his new girlfriend."

"I don't have a girlfriend," Tim commented absently, automatically, before once more staring at his gift and withdrawing from the conversation.

"Hey, we didn't rule out a secret admirer, not completely. And maybe Abby or another friend sent it. Hell, I wish I had thought to send him something last year, it would've been hilarious watching him try to guess who it was from."

"Tony! You would dare do something like that to him?"

"What? I'm telling you, it would've been incredibly entertaining."

"Not very original, though. It would just be a variation of a previous joke."

"How's that?"

"Claire," Ziva supplied. "You just cannot help involving yourself in his love life, can you?"

"Hey, it's what friends do."

Ziva just frowned and looked at McGee, "Maybe we should find a way to clap him out of it."

"Snap, Ziva, snap him out of it."

"Snap, clap, what is the difference? Both are ways to get attention."

"And that's what we need to do, regain his attention," Tony commented before approached McGee and administrating a head slap.

"Hey! What's that for?"

"Just treating you for shock," The older man smirked, "Wouldn't want Gibbs to return and find you in a comatose-like state. Now end our torment and tell us who they are from," Tony added, giving a nod to the card.

"I hope I know who it's from," Tim said with a soft smile as he picked up and opened the card. After reading it a few times, a red cheeked Tim turned to them with a smile, "It's from her. Just saying how she is looking forward to tomorrow night."

"With the blush on your cheeks, I'm betting she said more than that," Tony smirked at him.

Tim just shrugged and looked away, giving Tony a chance to sneak up on him and snatch the card out of his hands.

"Hey!" Tim protested as he tried half-heartedly to reach for the card.

Tony smirked as he read the card, "Let's see what she had to say:

 _"To my Knightly Elf Lord,_

"Really, she calls you that?" Tony asked with a laugh.

" _I hope you enjoy the gifts. Part of me wants to wait until tomorrow night to explain what I chose and why, yet I worry that you will have to work and our date will be postponed._

 _"Three roses, one for each of the dates we have gone on, each symbolizing_

"Blah, blah, blah, romantic nonsense," Tony commented as he skipped over most that paragraph.

"Ooh, this sounds promising,

" _perhaps the balloons are overkill, but I do enjoy embarrassing you,'_ "

Tony laughed, "Oh, Probie, I really like this girl,"

 _"but only because you are adorable when you blush'_

"Ugh, how mushy. How many dates have the two of you been on?"

"Three," Tim and Ziva replied in unison, both freezing as Tony looked at them.

"She mentioned it with the reason for the roses," Ziva answered Tony's unasked question.

Tony paused as he looked at the card again, "So she did," Tony confirmed. "It seems a bit too early in the relationship for this level of sweetness, kinda sickening, actually," Tony commented.

"Tony, give me back the card," Tim asked.

"Why? So you can laminate it and put it under your pillow?"

"Tony."

Tony met Tim's eyes. Even though the younger man was embarrassed, he didn't run and hide.

"Okay, okay, just as soon as I read who it's from," Tony replied.

"No!" Tim hissed, reaching for the card that Tony kept out of his grasp.

"You have got to be kidding me!" The SFA yelled.

"I'm not kidding when I say get back to work," Gibbs said as he reentered the bullpen.

"Yes, boss," the three agents replied, Tony placing Tim's card on his desk, the younger man instantly retrieving it and placing it securely in his bag.

"Nice balloons, Elf Lord," Gibbs commented as he sat across from them at his desk.

"Er, thanks, boss," Tim replied, blushing once more.

* * *

"Well, I feel unloved," Tony said as he entered the bullpen after lunch, staring at Ziva's desk. The first thing he saw was a massive bouquet of flowers sitting there, actually, it was pretty much the only thing one could see. He then noticed that Ziva was standing at her desk, holding an opened card and staring at said flowers in shock and awe.

"I'm sure someone, somewhere loves you," Tim smirked, hoping Ziva was pleased with the arrangement he sent.

"Hmm, looks like someone's overcompensating for something," Tony jeered. "It's a bit much don't you think?"

"You think so?" Tim asked, maybe he should've gone with the roses.

Tony snorted, "They take up a lot of space."

"They are beautiful," Ziva stated breathlessly. It was unclear whether or not she was participating in their conversation or just speaking her thoughts out loud.

"And no doubt expensive," he drawled. "Why spend so much money on something that is going to die soon anyway?"

"Actually," Tim began before pausing, how could he explain that the two large centerpieces were plants that would live if proper care was given to them?

"Wonder who they're from," Tony pondered out loud, something Tim was grateful for for once.

"Obviously her Valentine, DiNozzo," Gibbs proclaimed as he entered the bullpen.

"I…you have big Valentine plans tomorrow? With guy in tights?" Tony asked, staring at Ziva in surprise.

"I do."

Tim smiled, "Practicing those marriage vows?" he teased.

"Perhaps we should wait and see how my Valentine date goes first," Ziva retorted with a responding grin.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Tony called, as he walked around his desk, hand fashioned into a 'T'. "Marriage?" he asked, staring intently at Ziva.

"We were joking," Ziva explained.

"Then what are your plans for tomorrow? Who are they with and why haven't you mentioned him?"

Ziva frowned, "You know," she said with sudden realization, focusing on his first question "I do not know for sure what we are doing."

Tony's mouth dropped open in shock. "You have a date tomorrow, and you don't know what you're doing? Are you sure you have a date?"

"The flowers seem to indicate I do," Ziva snapped. "As for our plans, I assume dinner and an activity of some kind, if time permits, as well as our work schedule."

"Seriously?" Toy questioned. "You either must really like this guy, really trust him, or be cr-"

"I do," Ziva answered again, giving a brief, smile in Tim's direction. "I trust him with my life, and the more I learn about him, the more I like and admire him."

"Wow," Tony and Tim both whispered, shocked at Ziva's words.

"So when do we meet this mystery man?"

"Not this weekend."

"Well, yeah, obviously," Tony agreed without hesitation.

"But, I mean, you've barely even mentioned him, assuming it's guy in tights."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Tony, he took me to the ballet, he did not dance in it."

"Well, we still don't know anything else about him."

"Is that a fact?"

"Well, yeah," Tony said, catching sight of the flowers on her desk again. "Well, except that his taste in flowers isn't very romantic. Someone really should tell him that less is more and that roses are the flower of love. There's not a single rose in there, yet there must be 4 or 5 different kinds in that…" Tony floundered, looking for the words as he waved his hands in a large sweeping motion "grandiose display."

"Seven," Tim and Ziva replied in unison, before Tim blushed and quickly looked away hoping Tony wouldn't notice it.

"Tulip, gladiola, iris, and orchid," Ziva educated them, pointing to each corresponding flower along the outside of the bouquet.

"And the main two?" Tony inquired.

"Anemone and Cyclamen," she answered reverently.

"Are they your favorites or something?" Tony asked, "I mean, you knew them all."

"The main two, Anemone and Cyclamen." she said gesturing to those plants, "often vie for being the official flower of Israel. The others are flowers that are typically given in Israel as gifts to one another."

"Oh," Tony said softly, falling silent as he took in her words. "Romantic or not, he definitely knows what he's doing."

"Yes, he does." Ziva agreed, once more lost in her flowers.

"Gear up, break in at a Lt. Commander's house," Gibbs announced.

"On base, boss?" Tim asked, as everyone reacted to his words.

"Nope," Gibbs said as he headed towards the elevator.

"Hey!" Tony cried as he jumped in behind Tim and Ziva, "You only named six flowers, what's the seventh one and where is it?"

Ziva blushed and looked away, instead asking Gibbs where they were heading.

* * *

"Thank you for the Valentine, Tim," Ziva said softly as she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, taking the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "The flowers are beautiful, I…" she stopped, not sure how to express herself.

"You're welcome, and it's okay. And thank you," he returned, since he had yet had an opportunity to thank her for his present.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Tony asked as he watched his coworkers whisper to one another.

"I am just thanking him for the Valentine," Ziva announced to all.

"Oh, Probie, tell me you didn't?"

"Didn't what?" Tim frowned, wondering if Tony had figured it out and knew the flowers were from him.

"Send an e-mail card after she received those flowers. Can't you see that the bar's been raised?"

"I thought one raises the roof?" Ziva asked.

"Raise the roof means to have a party, celebrate, make a lot of noise. Raising the bar means increasing the expectation, the standard," Tim explained.

"In other words, McBadTiming's pitiful e-card couldn't really impress you after the flowers that your mystery man sent you," Tony added. "Of course, _he_ probably won't be able to beat that either."

"I have faith in him," Ziva stated, meeting Tony's gaze. "And actually, I received Tim's card before the flowers, unfortunately, I was not able to thank him before they arrived or before the call out.

"And it is not a competition," She shared, "Both mean a lot to me. One from my friend, teammate, and coworker, and one from…well, we shall see what he shall become," she concluded, remember her and Tim's promise not to lie.

Luckily, Tony attributed the blush on Tim's face to Ziva's words about her friend, teammate, and coworker.

* * *

"So what did you finally decide on for Valentine's Day?" Tony asked as he and Tim checked local pawn shops for the Lt. Commander's belongings. "Were you able to get reservations somewhere nice?"

"I was able to get a spot for dinner with one of the top chef's in the area," Tim admitted, being sure not to mention any specifics. "I know she enjoys cooking, so I think she will appreciate it."

"No doubt," Tony smirked, "And the cost will impress her as well."

"She's not like that," he snapped.

"Oh, Probie, when it comes to Valentine's Day, every woman is like that. To them, the time, effort and money you put into the plans and your outfit is a direct correlation to your feelings for them. Picking up last minute flowers at the grocery store or, heaven forbid, a gas station, and dinner at a mundane restaurant, lets them know that you don't think they were worth any special effort."

"I-" Tim paused, shaking his head, while he didn't totally agree with Tony's statement, he could see how it could hold some truth. Regardless, Tim knew that in this case, it didn't matter. He and Ziva were friends, regardless of the feelings their kiss last night might have sparked in him.

"And here we are," Tony stated, as he parked the car. Both men exited, confirming that they had their guns on them and their badges visible. While they didn't expect any trouble on this fact finding mission, anything was possible. People reacted in unexpected ways when the authorities came knocking on their door.

Within an hour, Tony and Tim were back in the sedan and returning to the Navy Yard. Tim was purposely silent, partly thinking about the case and what they learned, and partly not wanting to speak in case it got Tony started on their previous conversation topic.

Tony was able to put the case out of his head for now, knowing that there would be plenty to time to think about that once back at his desk in the bullpen. Of course, thinking about his desk and the bullpen had him thinking about Ziva and what was on her desk.

"Who is that guy?" He suddenly asked.

"What guy?" Tim asked as he looked around.

"Ziva's new guy," he explained, "The one that has her so rattled."

"She's rattled?"

"And you call yourself an investigator," Tony snorted. "She's definitely not her ninja-like self. She's been very quiet all day, more so since the flowers arrived."

Tim shrugged, "she seemed okay to me," he offered, of course, since he was pointedly not watching her, he couldn't be sure if that was true.

Tony glared at the younger agent, "She blushed when I asked about the seventh flower. Ziva _blushed,_ " he stressed before continuing. "Every spare minute we haven't been focused on this case, she's staring at those flowers or petting them."

"Petting them?" Tim repeated with a chuckle. Inside he was happy that he surprised Ziva. Not only with the delivery that she admitted she hadn't expected, but in his choice of flowers and the card. He blushed, and was grateful that Tony wasn't watching him, when he thought about the seventh flower and what he wrote about it, ' _I know roses are traditional for declaring love and someday I hope to do that, for now, however, I give to you the reason why I chose to include rosebuds, It is my hop that our friendship and feeling for one another will bloom like they do.'_ Yes, it might've seemed a bit cheesy, but he wanted to be sure to include something romantic in case Tony read the card.

Tony waved his hand dismissively, "You know what I mean. Or perhaps you would prefer that I use the word fondle? Either way, it's as if she can't believe that they are real, that the person they are from is real."

"Hey! Why didn't you steal the card to her flowers?"

"One, she would've killed me," he answered with a grin, "Two, she wouldn't have gotten embarrassed like you, just mad and there's no fun in that; Three, Gibbs was in the room at the time; and Four, we got the call out and when we returned, the card was safely hidden somewhere…believe, me, I looked for it," Tony admitted, causing Tim to snort in amusement.

"So now we need to find out who this guy is and how she met him."

"Why?"

"She's a teammate, she might need our protection."

"I think she can take care of herself," Tim offered.

"Usually I would agree, but obviously she is blinded by this guy. I mean, the flowers he sent put her off her game. Finding out the national and popular flowers of her home country and sending them to her, obviously he's manipulative and up to something."

"Or perhaps he's just considerate," Tim defended himself.

"Manipulative," Tony repeated, "And probably after one thing."

"Her heart?" Tim spoke without thinking, "It is Valentine's day."

"Exactly," Tony agree, snapping his fingers, "he's trying to set the scene, so she'll be a pile of goo tomorrow."

Tim snorted at the idea that Ziva would be a pile of goo, especially over a bouquet of flowers, "Won't the effect were off by then? He should have sent them to her home tomorrow if that was the case, right?"

"No, this guy is a pro," Tony commented, making Tim hide his smirk, and wish he was taping this conversation to reply for the older man once the truth was revealed. "Women love getting public deliveries, showing how much they are cared for, especially in front of other women and coworkers. This guy got some major points today."

"Points?"

Tony sighed, no wonder why his probie was still single if he didn't understand the game. "Think of Valentine's Day as one of your games. Every interaction leading to the big date is a mini-challenge. How often you talk to her; letting her know about your plans or how to dress for the evening; flowers, gifts, the card," he stressed the last three, "Get enough points from these things and you could be guaranteed to 'score' that night, even if that night is an epic fail. If you don't score enough points before the big date, it'll be harder to do so. If you have very few points, it will be virtually impossible."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So far Ziva's mystery guy seems to be scoring major points. Ziva's even joking about marriage. Marriage! And he didn't even tell her what they were doing tomorrow night, yet she doesn't seem to care."

"Oh."

"I know," Tony shook his head, "I think she might really be falling for this guy, which is why we need to find out who he is," Tony concluded as he absently tapped the steering wheel. "Hey, you guys have spent some time together lately, has she mentioned anything to you?"

"Er, no, not really."

"Not really?" Tony pounced on his words, "So that means she has said something."

Tim shrugged, 'Nothing about the guys identity, just that," he paused as he tried to remember what Ziva had said, "before this relationship she hadn't seen anyone in a while; likes to keep quiet about her private life, especially after everything that has happened, and that she plans to spend a lot of time with him."

"That's it?"

"Er," Tim blushed.

"Oh, no, Probie, tell me what you know," Tony demanded, seeing the color overtake Tim's face.

"I…we…she mentioned settling down."

"With this guy?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Er, no, not specifically, but that she _was_ the type to want to settle down, that she never dated more than one guy at a time, but focused on that one person, seeing if it was the right one."

"I…yeah, I can see that," Tony admitted. "I guess in that way, she's more like you and Gibbs than me or Abby."

"Yeah, I guess," Tim admitted, before falling silent as they entered the navy yard.

* * *

"Still no car, Probie?" Tony asked as he joined Tim and Ziva at the elevator after the three agents finally got the all clear to leave for the day, along with a reminder that while they do not have to come into the office tomorrow, they were on call and expected to keep their phones on them at all times, not to travel outside of the area, and to limit their alcohol intake.

"No, got it back yesterday," he admitted.

"Just in time for the big date," Tony smiled. "Bet you're relieved about that. Not only are you able to drive, but you know the Porsche will impress her."

Tim frowned, "Tony-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, 'she's not like that'. Still, man, it's a _Porsche_! How can she not be impressed? And every little bit helps, especially when you're trying to get clear of the friend zone, McGeek."

Ziva smiled as she heard Tony predict what Tim was going to say.

"We've been friends for awhile, remember?" Tim reminded his teammate, "She already knew what type of car I had and she's ridden in it before. I don't think it will make a difference."

"Perhaps if you were to let her drive it…" Ziva suggested with a grin, knowing the chances of that were nil. Tim was very protective of his car.

Tim snorted and shot her a glance, "You wish," he uttered softly so Tony couldn't hear, not that he was paying attention to them.

Tony also snorted, "That's when you know it's love, when McMeticulous willingly hands over the keys to his beloved Porsche."

Tim just smiled and shrugged.

"So, Probilicious, you never finished telling me what plans you made for after dinner tomorrow night."

"Dinner?" Ziva questioned, receiving a small smile from Tim, as both agents knew that Tony would fill her in.

Tony nodded, "Yeah, apparently his date likes to cook, so McWantstoimpressher, was able to get them in at a restaurant owned by one of DC's top chefs."

"Oh my," Ziva said, placing a hand on the elevator wall to keep her from falling over in shock. She hadn't expected Timothy to go to that extreme for their date tomorrow night, even if he did say he was trying to top last week's 'date' to the ballet.

"I know, he surprised me, too," Tony admitted, "Especially since he waited so long to make the plans, no doubt the luck of the Irish was on his side," he snickered. "So, what are you two doing after dinner?"

Tim and Ziva exchanged concerned looks, he didn't know or suspect anything, did he?

"Tim?" Tony questioned when his friend remained silent. "What are you and your _friend_ , who you think of as more than a friend, doing after dinner? Don't tell me it's a movie?"

"What's wrong with a movie?" Ziva asked.

"First, it's not very creative, you want to do something special, something she will always remember, especially as it's your hopefully first of many valentine's together.

Second, it's not very romantic. I mean, think about it, the two of you sitting next to each other in a theater, surrounded by a bunch of strangers in uncomfortable seats, where you are unable to talk. The only possible exception is if you see a scary movie."

Ziva frowned as the group exited the building, "How is a scary movie romantic?"

"This from a girl who thought the circus could be romantic," Tony stated as he shook his head in an exaggerated movement. "It's not, but if she gets scared and climbs into your lap, it could work," Tony explained with a smirk.

Tim snorted, "Somehow I don't think she's that type."

"They're all that type," Tony retorted as they walked towards their cars.

"Ahem," Ziva coughed.

"Well, okay, maybe not our little ninja assassin here," Tony admitted, "but most others? Oh yeah, especially if they _want_ the excuse to sit on your lap."

Tim shook his head, "It's not a movie."

"Then what is it?"

"I have a few things in mind," Tim hedged, "It depends on the time, weather, and what she might prefer."

Tony shrugged as they walked across the parking lot, "Hey, are you getting together tonight?"

"I..." Tim paused, "We didn't discuss it," he admitted, trying not to turn to Ziva and ask. "Maybe it will be good not to."

"What?" he snorted, "Kind of like the bride not seeing the groom the before the wedding?"

Tim blushed and continued walking to his car, Tony on one side of him laughing, Ziva silently walking on the other. "No, but maybe it will make tomorrow's date more special. After all, I've seen her every night this week," he began, continuing when Tony's head whipped around, "that I could."

"Last night?"

"Yes," Tim admitted with a blush, as the image of the kiss replayed in his mind.

"Another night of foot massages?" Tony snickered, as he opened the door to his car. When Tim remained silent, and started to walk faster, Tony gave a whistle. "Probie? Did you finally _kiss_ her?"

Tim gave no response as he pretended not to hear the question.

"McGee?" he called.

"Tim? At least give me an answer to that question," he pleaded, as he shut his door and started after Tim.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Tim raced to his car, unlocking it as he approached and quickly entered it, starting the engine. Normally he would make sure to fasten his seatbelt before putting the car in drive, but time was of the essence if he didn't want to be interrogated in front of Ziva.

When Tim reached his car, Tony had stopped running. "I think that's a yes," he commented to Ziva. "So, what do you think? Maybe it was the worst first kiss ever and that's why he didn't want to talk about it?"

Ziva shrugged, "I can't speak for Timothy, but I don't think that's the case."

"Why do you say that?"

"He wouldn't be looking forward to tomorrow if that was the case."

"True," Tony agreed, "Then why wouldn't he answer?"

Ziva just smiled at Tony before turning away and walking to her car.

* * *

8-6-2018


	28. Sunday, Feb 15 (J28)

Not Beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"So is it love?" Tony began moments after Gibbs left the bullpen, his gaze alternating between his two teammates.

"I…what? Tim sputtered.

"You both had special plans for Valentine's Day with a new love interest," he stated with a smirk, "I was just curious to see how those plans went."

"Oh."

"My Valentine's Day was nice," Ziva offered.

"Nice? Ouch," Tony gave an exaggerated wince," I'm glad your date didn't hear that," he said not noticing Tim's flinch.

"Why?" Ziva asked with a frown, also not noticing Tim's reaction, "It _was_ nice."

"Finding money in a coat pocket is _nice_ , a date on what should be the most romantic night of the year should be much more than _nice_."

"It is a perfectly adequate word when talking about your private life with your coworkers," Ziva offered in defense.

Tony nodded, "Then how would you describe it at a GNO?"

Ziva frowned at the unknown phrase, "GNO?"

"Girl's Night Out," Tony explained, "You know, when you and your girlfriends get together to make each other jealous or complain about the men in your life."

"I...I would say the same thing, it was nice."

"Double ouch," Tony responded, looking at Tim, "Right? How would you react if you found the potential describing your date, one that you hopefully spent a lot of time planning and getting ready for, as 'nice'?"

Feeling both sets of eyes on him, Tim willed himself to stay calm and to not look at Ziva. "I guess it depends on who she said it to and why. She's a bit like me that she keeps her personal life private," Tim commented, "So I can see her not wanting to share information."

Tony shook his head, "Then you did something wrong, Probie."

"What?"

"How?"

"If things really went well, she should be floating, unable to hide her joy and happiness, excited to gloat and brag about the most perfect, romantic night ever."

"M-" Tim began, only to be cut off by Tony.

"I mean, you saw Ziva last Monday, she was _dancing_. That was after a date to the ballet on a regular Friday night," Tony explained, shaking his head. "You know, I wondered how he was going to top the flowers from yesterday, it looks like he couldn't. There was no way he could've topped the ballet, he should've saved the ballet for last night. Two days later, she was still in the zone, floating on air."

"Tony, I cannot afford to be distracted in the field. If you must know, I had a wonderful evening last night and I was sad to see it end. As for dancing and _floating,_ the ballet was on a Friday when I had the weekend off. I actually spent most of that weekend at his apartment, able to bask in the memories of that evening," She admitted. "This weekend, waking up today to a call out about a dead marine, mere hours after that wonderful evening ended, unfortunately, redirected those feelings. I have no doubt that they will return when I spend time alone with him or look at the flowers he sent that are still blooming, or view the pictures and other memorabilia from last evening."

"Pics? You have pics and you haven't shared them yet?" Tony asked incredulously.

Ziva nodded, "Of our dinner and with our dinner companion, yes."

"Companion? If he brought along his mother, I suggest you dump him. Even McGee here would be a better prospect than that guy." Tony snorted as he continued, shaking his head, "A double date on Valentine's day? I hope you at least knew the couple beforehand."

Ziva quickly out her phone and set one of the photos as her lock screen wallpaper, then turned her phone off before restarting it. She held her phone out for Tony to see, being sure he kept his hands away, "This was our dinner companion," she stated, waiting for Tony to comment.

Toy frowned as he looked at the familiar man in the picture, "I know him," he said, before looking to Tim. "Probie, get over here and help me out. Who is he?"

Reluctantly Tim got up, giving a sigh as he did so and walked over to his teammates. Looking at Ziva's phone, he couldn't help but smile. She had really looked beautiful last night. "Ziva, you look amazing," he said, repeating his words from the previous evening.

"Thank you, Timothy," she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, the guy, who's the guy?" Tony asked Tim. "She said companion, so obviously it's not her date. I know I know him," he muttered. "Is he familiar to you?" Tony addressed Tim again, "If not, at least that'll give me a direction to look in, most like sports."

Tim rolled his eyes, "Yes, he is familiar," he admitted.

"Well, who is he?"

"Why haven't you asked Ziva? He was her dinner companion," Tim pointed out logically.

"Oh, yeah," Tony muttered. "Who is he? How did he end up as your dinner companion? And what did you do last night?"

Ziva clicked off her phone and put it away. "Last night my date surprised me with a cooking class,"

Tony snorted, "No wonder it was 'nice' and you weren't floating."

Tim and Ziva both frowned.

"It was a special date night class where the couple prepared the food together under the direction of a world renowned chef," she began to explain.

"Oh my god! That's who he is!" Tony exclaimed, reaching for her phone to look at the picture again. "He was on that cooking show; has that five star restaurant on M Street...What is it called?" he muttered to himself, before shaking his head to get back on track. "He's also opening that new one on Penn Ave."

Ziva nodded, "The class was at the location of his new restaurant. We got a tour of the entire place, then used the professional equipment under his direction to prepare our meal. While our meal finished cooking, we retired to the lounge in our formal attire, where we socialized," she said, indicating the picture. "The assistants removed the food from the oven and plated them under our direction, we were then lead to the dining room, which was partitioned off to give each couple some privacy, yet we could all still hear the violinist in the background."

"Wow." Tony leaned back in his chair, almost speechless. Whoever Ziva's date was, he definitely had style. "That must've cost a pretty penny. How many couples were there? A lot?"

Ziva shook her head, both in response to the question and in disbelief that he focused on the monetary aspect of the date, "Only three."

Tony whistled, "A _very_ pretty penny," he muttered. "So any pics of you and your billionaire together?"

Ziva looked at the wallpaper on her phone and frowned.

"Not him, _your date_ ," Tony clarified. "I figured he has to either have money, connections, or both to pull that off."

"I do not know how he pulled it off," she admitted with a frown, that was something McGee had refused to answer, just telling her to enjoy the night and the opportunity. "Yes, I have pictures of us together: cooking dinner, both alone and with the chef; eating our meal, laughing, talking, and dancing. However, you will not see them."

"Why not? "

"Because I would not put it past you to somehow obtain copies of those pictures and run them through facial recognition software," she stated.

Tony smirked, that actually wasn't a bad idea, he thought, vowing to do that if he did get a copy.

"Oh, come on, give us a looksee," Tony prodded. "Surely he's not that ugly that you're ashamed of him."

"No." She shook her head, not falling into his trap. "No pictures until either you know who he is or I know where this relationship is going."

Tony frowned as he looked at her phone.

"Timothy." Ziva began, looking at her other partner as she waved her phone, "Can you help me protect this from him?"

"Of course," he immediately agreed with a smile.

Tony sneaked a glance at McGee, wondering if he could convince the younger man to get a copy of one of the pictures for him. Probably not, Probie was such a boy scout sometimes. Hmm, perhaps he could persuade McGee to tell him about the pictures Ziva had on her phone.

"So, McFriendzone, how was your night? What did you do?"

"I…it was great," Tim replied, being sure not to use the word nice, and smiling as he remembered the evening. He gave a small chuckle, nodding his head towards Ziva phone, "we actually had dinner at his restaurant."

Tony laughed at the coincidence, "Well, you did say a top chef restaurant in DC. Too bad you didn't know about that class, your _friend_ really would've been impressed with that. I man, pictures with a world renowned chef? Lessons? Of course, you probably couldn't afford it. Still, shame you didn't meet the guy."

"Actually," Tim began, "We did. Towards the middle of our date, he entered the room we were in, walked around and greeted everyone, even stopped for a few pictures."

Tony nodded, no doubt he wanted to see how his restaurant was doing on the popular night.

"Then what?"

"We finished eating," Tim responded, giving a small chuckle when Tony groaned at his answer and palmed his own face. "We walked around a bit, enjoying the nice night and talked before stopping at a café/bakery for dessert."

"Did you kiss her goodnight?"

Tim blushed and nodded, head slightly inclined towards Ziva. They had wondered how long it would take Tony to bring up that topic, especially since Tim left without a direct answer to that question on Friday night. Tim smiled and wished that he had thought to bet on it. Ziva had given Tony the benefit of the doubt, saying he would use some restraint; Tim, however, had fully expected Tony to bring up the topic and to do so during the first conversation where Gibbs wasn't present. He was only shocked that that was all he had asked.

"A real kiss? On the lips?" Tony asked skeptically.

"Tony!" Ziva hissed.

"You know I don't kiss and tell." Tim stated before turning away.

Tony glared at him, "No, you don't, _didn't,_ " he pointedly added, "When I asked you Friday." He looked at Tim, a smirk gracing his lips, "And there's no reason for you 'to tell', your red face today and hasty retreat Friday answered the question for you.

"Now what I need to know is how bad was it and did it lead to breakfast this morning?"

Tim refused to look up. "No," Tim finally answered, ignoring the first part of the question and answering the second before casting another glance at Ziva, this one Tony picking up on.

"Oh, don't worry about Ziva being here, maybe she can give us a female perspective."

Ziva snickered, "The only female perspective that matters is the one from the woman he was kissing."

Tony waved her words away, "So, details, Probie. Where? When? How? And most importantly, who?"

"I hope that's a crime you're asking about, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated as he rounded the corner.

"Nope, at least for Probie's sake I hope it doesn't end up in a police report," Tony answered.

"More about McGee's love life," Gibbs commented, shaking his head. "Maybe he stole her heart."

"Ah, I see what you did there," Tony grinned and nodded in appreciation, "Nice one, boss."

"What would be nice is if you guys got back to work so we can close this case."

"On it, Boss."

"Yes, Gibbs."

They replied simultaneously.

The rest of the day didn't leave much time for conversations not related to the case, something Tim was grateful for. It wasn't until they were finally dismissed for the evening that Tim realized that how unusual it was that Tony never talked about his own Valentine's Day date.

* * *

So, last year, we were eating at Art Smith's Homecoming when he entered the restaurant, started walking around and stopping at tables greeting and talking to guests, even stopping for pictures, so it's not unheard of for chef's to do that when they are in proximity to their restaurant.

8-7-18


	29. Monday, Feb 16, Cornered (J29)

Not beta'd' standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Tim pulled into the parking lot early the next morning and was surprised to see Tony casually leaning against his car.

"Morning," Tim called as he exited and locked his Porsche. "Everything all right?"

"Yep," Tony replied, as he walked over to meet Tim.

"Okay," Tim agreed, not sure if he believed the older man. After all, never before had Tony met him in the parking lot, and for him to be here so early was highly unusual, and suspect. Tony didn't say anything just matched his stride to Tim's. With a huffed sigh, Tim stopped and faced him, "Okay, what's up?"

"Whatever-"

"Cut the crap, Tony," Tim snapped. "You obviously want something or have something to say, and since you chose the locale, I'm guessing you don't want Ziva or Gibbs to overhear."

"Fine," Tony stated, as close to an admission that Time would get. "I want to see pics of your date, not just you at the restaurant."

Tim's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

"Because you've barely said _anything_ about this girl, and probably wouldn't have if I hadn't asked about your Valentine's plans. She could be anything, a spy, an assassin, a fortune-hunter,"

"A doctor or a teacher," Tim added sharply, hoping Tony would get the point and drop the subject.

"Someone pretending to be doctor or a teacher," Tony corrected. "She could be a thief or a murderer. Maybe someone bent on revenge because we arrested her ex or brother. She could be _anyone_ ," he reiterated.

"She could be someone who just wants to date me and get to know me better," Tim offered.

"C'mon, Probie, get a clue before you get hurt," Tony snapped. "You're practically obsessed with her. You've been spending almost all your free time with her. You even thought _grocery shopping_ was fun. And you admitted that it was _her_ idea to date. Why would she do that if she didn't have an ulterior motive?"

Tim kept a firm grip on his control. At Tony's words, he mentally staggered back, surprised he hadn't done so physically as well. Was that really what Tony thought about him, that anyone who showed an interest in him did so because of ulterior motives? He gave a slight growl; his hands clenched in fists at his sides, resisting the impulse to take a swing at the other man, as he brushed past him and headed into the building. The main reasons why he didn't swing was because a) he was pretty sure Tony would win any physical fight they had, b) he would end up getting suspended or fired for starting a fight, and it, _Tony_ , wasn't worth his job.

Those thoughts running through his head kept him from responding when Tony called out after him. Tim gave a sigh of relief as he entered the building and was able to quickly jump on the elevator, the doors closing right as Tony entered the lobby. Tim continued listing the reasons why it was better to ignore Tony and his comments as the elevator made its ascent: c) he really didn't want Gibbs to become involved in this; and d) he didn't want to share with Ziva, or anyone else, what Tony believed, partly in fear that they might agree.

"Good, you made it in early," Ziva smiled as he exited the elevator. "I was thinki-what's wrong?" she asked, once she got a good look at him. His jaw and fists clenched, his posture tense, his eyes lacking their usual warmth; it was a look she had never seen before on Tim and she couldn't help but be worried about him and mad at whoever caused it to happen.

"McGee!" Tony shouted as he came running out of the stair well. "I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need any help," Tim snapped, "Especially your kind of help."

"Please, you're in over your head," Tony snapped. "Can't you see that she's-"

"Don't. Just don't," Tim interrupted, part pleading, part ordering. "I really don't want to know any more about what you think about me," he said, turning away.

Tony looked at Tim horrorstruck, "I didn-"

"We have a case to solve," Tim continued, "I suggest we get to work."

"Tim, I-"

"I think you need to listen to McGee, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated as he entered the bullpen. He didn't know what happened, but could tell that it wasn't good. Most likely Tony had crossed the line in asking Tim about his 'relationship'.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked when he had his SFA cornered.

"Boss?" a puzzled Tony replied.

"I told you to stay out of McGee's personal life and you went and said something that had McGee moments away from taking a swing at you."

"Probie?" Tony scoffed, "As if."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled. "I don't know what you said or did, nor do I want to know," he snapped when Tony opened his mouth to provide that information, "When I give a directive I expect it to be followed," he added pointedly before continuing, "I _suggest_ you stay away from Tim and refrain from mentioning his relationship." When Gibbs finished he stared at the younger man until Tony nodded in recognition. "I'll also tell you that if something you do ends up breaking up this team, I guarantee that _you_ won't be happy," he spat before pivoting on his heel and leaving a shocked Tony staring after him.

"Fix this!" Gibbs called back right before he disappeared from view.

Tony banged his head against the wall in defeat, "How can I fix this when I don't know for sure what happened and I'm suppose to stay away from him and not mention his girlfriend?"

* * *

Never before had Tim been so thankful for omniscient Gibbs. Tim couldn't help but believe that the supervisory agent knew what had happened between him and Tony and had somehow taken steps to prevent the two from being alone together. Tim wasn't sure he would be able to keep his temper under control if Tony started insulting him again.

Glad that another confrontation hadn't occurred that day, Tim had returned home as soon as Gibbs had dismissed them and tried to relax on his couch, dreading work tomorrow, since it would mean seeing and talking with Tony. Tim doubted that he would be lucky enough to be able to avoid the senior agent two days in a row.

On the plus side, he would also be able to see Ziva at work tomorrow. It seemed like Gibbs had kept Tim and Ziva separated as well. The two hadn't had much chance to talk or interact with one another. Maybe he should see if Ziva wanted to join him for a run tomorrow, or perhaps dinner. Their Valentine's date had gone well, they had spent the evening talking and laughing, yet the topic of the plan and how to proceed after that momentous date was never broached.

 _'Timothy, do you want to run together tomorrow?'_

Tim smiled as he read the text Ziva just sent, wondering if she had access to his thoughts, and was quick to send back a confirmation.

 _'Earlier than usual ok with you? I want to get in to the office early.'_

 _'Fine with me. Want to ride in together as well? We haven't talked much about the plan.'_

 _'Sounds like a plan. Jethro and I will meet you outside, just text me when you leave your place.'_

 _':) Looking forward to seeing Jethro, I missed him.'_

Tim grinned at her response before sending a reply, _':)_ ', and putting his phone away. A few moments later when his phone chimed again, he took it back out as he wondered what Ziva had to say now. Probably something about breakfast, he thought with a grin. To his surprise, though, it wasn't Ziva that texted him.

 _'Probie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way you took it.'_ Tim didn't bother replying to Tony's text, mostly because he wasn't sure how he felt about what the older agent had said. He was definitely hurt and shocked that Tony had said what he did. He knew he wasn't as popular with women as Tony was, but that was no reason to think that he wouldn't appeal to any woman.

 _'I'm just worried, especially since you mentioned that it was her idea. Women don't often initiate serious relationships like that. Sure, they might ask a guy out, but most of them are a still a bit old fashioned and want the guy to take the lead. Showing that he wants the relationship, has a vested interest in it so to speak.'_

 _'You have to admit you've been spending a lot of time with her, and since you barely talk about her, well, my spidey senses started tingling.'_

Tim snorted as he read Tony's latest text.

 _'I saw you fall this fast more than once and you've ended up hurt. I just want you to be aware and cautious.'_

Tim frowned. Okay, so maybe he _did_ fall with little prompting, he realized, but still, this situation was different. Was it really? A voice in his head asked. Yes. He and Ziva were _pretending_ to date. Both of them were well aware of that. And okay, so maybe that kiss showed Tim what a real relationship with Ziva could be like, but that wasn't possible, and Tim knew that. He was fully aware and in control of his feelings here, there was no reason to think that he would be hurt. And how was Tony to know that? The voice continued. Another frown. Okay, so Tony wasn't privy to that information, Tim realized, as he replayed Tony's words from earlier that morning. No doubt Tony had just been trying to help. Could he really be mad at him for that?

 _'Probie?'_

With a sigh, Tim finally responded.

 _'Please trust me. I know what I'm doing and have entered this relationship with my eyes wide open. I'm enjoying the moment and the relationship while it lasts. I don't expect it to last forever, mostly because she is so far out of my league, but for however long she's willing to deepen our friendship and pursue this relationship, I'm there.'_

 _'Okay, Probie, I trust you…I'll probably still ask questions and tease you, but I'll trust you.'_

 _'I wouldn't expect you to do otherwise'_ Tim replied with a grin.

 _'I will also be here if you need anything, otherwise, we'll pretend these conversations from today didn't happen.'_

Tim snickered as he read Tony's last message. No doubt Tony would like to forget about today, especially since Gibbs had spent most of the day glaring at his senior agent. While Tim agreed not to mention today's conversations with Tony, he would keep the text message of his apology and offer of help, both of which Tony had never seriously offered before. As Tim once more put away his phone, he could only hope that with time, he would truly be able to forgive and forget.

* * *

8-9-18


	30. Tuesday February 17 (J30)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies

* * *

As promised, Tim and Jethro were outside waiting for Ziva when she arrived. The three easily fell back into their routine, both regarding the run and preparing for work once they returned to Tim's apartment.

Even though Tim had wanted to go into work early, Ziva was able to convince him that it was not necessary. Gibbs had told them what time they needed to be in by, and it was not as if they could leave early just because they came in late. She also pointed out that if the case wasn't solved, it would most likely be a late night. Seeing the wisdom in her words, they agreed not to make breakfast at Tim's place, but instead to stop at the coffee shop by the navy yard and have breakfast there.

"You okay?" Ziva asked once they were seated with their breakfast and coffees.

Tim looked up in surprise, "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

Ziva just met his gaze.

"Honestly, I'm fine," he repeated, meeting that gaze.

"You didn't seem fine yesterday," she began. "Whatever happened with Tony, you can tell me. You don't have to pretend or hide that you are mad at him."

"I'm not," he replied. "I mean, I am pretending it didn't happen, but Tony and I agreed to do that regarding all the conversations we had yesterday."

"All?"

Tim nodded as he began to explain, "Tony was waiting for me in the parking lot yesterday morning. He said, well, let's just say what he unintentionally implied about me wasn't nice. I left before he could explain, apologize or continue."

"You left before you yelled or attacked him," Ziva corrected. "I saw your body language when you entered the bullpen. You were half-ready to attack him."

Tim shook his head. "Not really. I mean, sure, part of me was mad enough to take a swing, but I knew it wouldn't help and that nothing I said or did would matter, so I left."

"You had to know that walking away would not end it. Tony would keep going."

"Not if Gibbs was present."

Ziva smiled, realizing his plan. "And you are really able to forget that it happened in the first place?"

Tim grimaced, "I'm gonna try."

"What did he say, or rather, imply, anyway?"

Tim shook his head, refusing to speak.

"Tell me. I know that I was involved in some way since I am positive his comment was regarding our relationship."

Another shake of the head.

"Timothy,"

"No" Tim replied firmly. "Yes, it might have been about this situation, but he said it to me. There is no reason for both of us to get mad, especially…"

"Especially what?" Ziva asked demandingly.

Tim was silent as he thought about what say next. He didn't want to admit that he suspected others would agree with what Tony had insinuated. "Tony said he didn't mean it the way it came out. He was actually trying to help, he just didn't think before he spoke and it came out wrong."

Ziva searched his face, "I can believe that," she replied, once she realized that Tim believed what he was saying. "However, the next time he says or does something to hurt you, especially regarding us, I can't promise I can control myself, especially if there's a paperclip nearby."

Tim laughed before changing the subject. "We have this weekend off, did you still want to go away?"

"Only if you do."

Tim shrugged, "I'm pretty sure I don't have other plans, no work, and I promise, family commitments, so yeah."

Ziva nodded, "Now we just need to decide where."

"Still not the best time for Boston," McGee reluctantly acknowledged. "Cold temps and snow predictions for this weekend."

"Somewhere with sun would be nice," Ziva admitted.

McGee grinned and using exaggerated movements looked out the window at the bright sun before turning to his companion and raising an eyebrow.

"Fine, sunshine and temps above freezing," she corrected.

"Techni-" Tim began, stopping and holding up his hands in surrender when Ziva glared at him. "Fine. I'll just assume by above freezing temperatures, you mean over 50 degrees."

"Warmer would be better," she hinted.

"So we both try to think of some options and we'll discuss them tomorrow night?"

"Over the kitchen sink" Ziva agreed before mentioning what combination she wanted to try from their favorite Italian restaurant.

As they continued to sit at their table eating and talking, both of them noticed a few coworkers entering the café for their own morning coffee fix. They figured it was only a matter of time before someone mentioned their breakfast 'date'.

* * *

"So Probie, how's the girlfriend?"

"You know I don't have one, DiNozzo."

"Oh? Boyfriend then? After all, you never shared a name with us," Tony smirked. "Our bad for assuming you were dating a girl."

Tim just glared at him before returning his attention to the phone in his hands. Tim had hoped that after yesterday's miscommunication, Tony would leave him alone today, or at least show some restraint. He should've known it would be a cold day in hell before Tony did any such thing. Tony had probably been giddy at the opportunity to torment Tim when Gibbs assigned the two this task. And now, here Tim was, trapped in a car with the senior agent.

"C'mon, McSerious, I'm kidding. Just trying to get you to share something."

"And why would you think I would share anything with you?" Tim asked softly.

"Because we're buds, that's what guys do."

"Do guys also imply that the only reason a girl would go out with them was because of some ulterior motive on their part?"

"Tim, I told you, I didn't mean it that way."

"I know. But I can't help but wonder what other way there was to mean it?"

Tony sighed and pulled the car to the side of the road. "I was worried about you," Tony began awkwardly. "Wasn't really thinking about what I was saying. Most women realize too late what they had…have…had…" Ton frowned and mouthed those two words a few before times trying to decide which tense was correct before realizing that it didn't matter. No doubt McGenius got his point. "I'm know you. You go all out for somebody you like right from the start. You did it with Abby. You got a tat to impress her, wouldn't listen when I said she wasn't her type or you hers," he corrected.

"It wasn't any of your business," Tim pointed out. "Besides, _we_ ," he said, pointing between the two of them, "had just met. You didn't know what 'type' I was nor _who_ my type could be."

"But I was right, wasn't I?" Tony challenged. "I gave a warning and you chose to ignore and you and Abby dated for a bit, then crashed and burned. You didn't get over her easily," if at all, Tony silently added. "Almost every relationship since I've known you has ended disastrously and in a similar fashion: you caring more for them then they care for you."

"That doesn't mean that is always going to be the case."

"Yeah but I don't know that. Not about this one," he added. "I know nothing about her, because you won't tell me. How can I make sure she's worthy of you if you don't let me in, Probie?

"You need a special kind of someone."

Tim's eyes narrowed and he glared at Tony. Was Tony using _special_ as an euphemism? Tim opened his mouth to inform the 'very special agent' what he thought of this insinuation when Tony help up his hand and continued.

"Truly special. I love Abby, she's great," Tony stated calmly, staring at Tim, "But she's not for you. Nor were any of your other girlfriend's. I know they say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, er, princess, but really now, why would you want to kiss frogs when other people can help you?

"I know people, about people, I mean," he clarified. "Let me tell you what I think. You need someone Strong, they have to be able to handle your job and your stubbornness," Tony pointed out. "Smart, not necessarily genius, rocket scientist or brain surgeon level, but someone able to converse about your interests, shared interest; Mature, well, you can't raise kids with another kid," Tony smirked. "She needs to be aware of the time and the place for things. Know when to let you work through things on your own and when to help and push you. She needs to know when to be serious and when you need a headslap to straighten out your thinking. Selfless, someone who will put you first, like you put them first; Independent, has their own interests and hobbies outside of your shared ones, doesn't expect you to always entertain them; Fun and spontaneous, I'm not saying you're not fun," Tony hurriedly shared, "But, well, you do think programming is fun. You need someone who can make you relax and truly enjoy and appreciate life with always worrying about schedules or such. Someone who can keep you on your toes, help you unwind after a long day or a touch case. Those are the top six attributes your girlfriend needs to have. That's how I see things."

Tim had sat there listening to Tony with his mouth wide open due to surprise. That's more thought than he ever gave regarding the characteristics of his future girlfriend.

"Again, I don't know if this mystery woman is any of those, let alone all of them" Tony added, his voice carrying his concern. "This job is tough enough, adding the wrong romantic partner could make things 100 times worse. _You_ don't need that. _I_ don't want that to happen. What I said yesterday," Tony paused, "I honestly did not mean it the way it came out. Yeah, maybe some of it is not any of my business, " Tony ignored Tim's muttered 'some' "But I need to know that you're in good hands away from the job," he concluded looking at Tim.

"Okay," Tim stated his understanding. "Speaking of jobs, we should probably get back to ours," he pointed out. "Gibbs won't wait much longer for this information and I would really love to close this case tonight."

Tony sighed as he once more focused on driving. He had hoped that Tim would finally talk to him about his girlfriend, guess he'll just have to try again later…after they passed this information onto Gibbs and closed the case.

* * *

Tony watched as Gibbs left the bullpen. The supervisory agent set them to work on the reports now that the case was closed. Even though it was late, the squad room wasn't that empty. The important thing, though, was that Gibbs wasn't present. Maybe now he could talk to Tim about his girlfriend and finally get some answers.

"So, McGee, did you see the girlfriend last night?"

Tim sighed before he responded, "No, I did not see the woman I am dating last night, and she is not my girlfriend."

Tony smirked at the response, "Is she seeing someone else? Are you? No? Then she's your girlfriend whether you call her that or not."

Tim opened his mouth to protest only to have Tony wave his hand dismissively. "Never mind. What I really want to know about is your first kiss."

"Tony,"

"C'mon, Probie. I told you before that you owed me those details, considering everything you're keeping to yourself, including her name," he stressed. "Now, did she kiss you or did you kiss her? Where did it happen? Outside her apartment or her car? On your new couch? Or," Tony paused and leered suggestively, "On your bed? It was a real kiss, right? How much farther did you get? Did you sl-"

"Tony!" Ziva interrupted his questioning, "Why are you constantly asking Timothy about his girlfriend? What they did or plan to do? Do you perhaps need help with your own? I noticed that you haven't said much about your Valentine's Day. Or are you just jealous?"

Tim hid a smile at Ziva's defense of him It felt really good knowing a teammate cared about him.

"Ha! As if," Tony snorted, "He would've made Valentine's Day dinner at home, epically failing. I highly doubt that what he plans is worth being jealous over."

"I did not say it was the _plans_ you would be jealous of," she retorted, earning stares from everyone in the bull pen.

"Well, I can't be envious of who is date is, I don't know who she is or even what she looks like."

"No, you don't do you?" she softly pondered.

"Can't be the relationship. He's _trying_ to get out of the friend zone. Probably hasn't even really kissed her, despite what he said, let alone anything PG13. See," Tony cried triumphantly when Tim blushed tellingly.

"So why would I be jealous?" he asked them.

Ziva shrugged, "My mistake," she said dismissively, casually adding, "Though one does have to wonder why the intense and relentless curiosity about Timothy's love life. It reminds me of when I first joined the team and you constantly tried to get him to admit he was gay or bi-curious, I always wondered why you were so obsessed with that," she concluded with a pointed look.

She paused for a moment, and once she knew she had Tony's attention, continued "You once commented that his potential girlfriend wouldn't trust him at work once she learned about his past with Abby and his friendly dinners with me. Maybe you are the one she should worry about," she returned to her desk, hiding her triumphant smile "Though this does explain about Claire," she added as she sat down and once more began working on completing her reports.

During this exchange, many ears around them had tuned in to listen. Thee conversations between the agents on Gibbs' team was always entertaining. now however, their eyes became involved as they flitted to Tony who stared at Ziva, his mouth opened in shock.

"Er," Tim spoke softly, standing up, "I'm gonna…yeah," he said to no one in particular as he quickly walked away.

* * *

Yeah, I think I'm gonna end this chapter here...

8-13-18


	31. Wednesday Feb 18 (J31)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies;

Starts off right after the previous chapter (Tuesday in the bullpen) and continues into Wednesday.

* * *

Tony turned to glare at Ziva as Tim left the bullpen, "What the hell was that about?" he asked, ignoring Ziva's muttering in Hebrew.

"It was about _you_ ," she snapped, eyes angrily narrowed. "For the last two weeks you have constantly tormented Tim about his love life."

"What love life?"

"See!" She shouted, "That right there, that is what I am talking about. You know Timothy is a private person, why do you constantly harass him about things he doesn't want to talk about?"

"Oh, come on, it's Probie. One, it's the only way to get him to talk and two, he knows I'm just teasing and that I'm trying to help."

"Well, I sincerely doubt he is going to talk now. And he doesn't need your kind help. All you end up doing is embarrassing him in front of his coworkers."

"Yeah, well, _you_ messed up and embarrassed him this time," he retorted.

Ziva glared at him as she returned to her attention to her computer and the reports that needed to be completed. "I know," she whispered softly, clutching her necklace and speaking in Hebrew again.

Over a half hour later it was a quiet Tim who returned to the bullpen, making sure not to meet anyone's gaze. When both Tony and Ziva tried to speak, Tim just shook his head, held out his hand to stop them. "No," he stated softly, his tone causing his two coworkers to nod in agreement as they silently went back to work on their reports.

* * *

Ziva had just finished her report and had walked over to the printer, all the while keeping an eye on Tim. She suspected that he had already completed his reports and was only stalling in an attempt to avoid riding home with her.

After placing the signed report on Gibbs' desk, she returned to hers. No sooner had she sat down then Tim spoke up for the first time since he had told them 'no'. "You go ahead, Ziva, I'm going to be a while. It's not fair to have you wait for me. I'll grab a cab or something," he concluded, not looking at her.

"Tim-"

"No," he interrupted.

"No," Ziva returned just as forceful. "There is plenty I can do here while I wait," She informed him. Granted, most of her time would probably be spent trying to think of a why to get Tim to listen and forgive her, still it would be time well spent. "There is no need to waste your money on a cab."

They glared at one another Tony's gaze flickering back and forth between them. The fact that they were still carpooling even after Tim got his car back was surprising. No doubt after today, that would end, he thought as his gaze continued to focus on his coworkers as he wondered who would give in first.

"Ziva,"

"No" Ziva repeated. "I am not going to let this sit between us like this. We-"

"Just let me print this," Tim interrupted, as he stood from his desk and retrieved his report from the printer, Ziva silently watching him. After confirming that it was correct, Tim signed it and placed it on Gibbs' desk before grabbing his bag and walking towards the elevator without saying another word.

Tony wasn't that surprised that Tim had given in, what was surprising was that Ziva wasn't gloating over that fact, but rather was more subdued than he had ever seen her as she followed Tim onto the elevator.

"What was that about?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged, "They're still carpooling."

"Well, yeah," the older agent said, silently asking for more information.

"Ziva said something, Tim got embarrassed and mad, he tried to avoid her, she wouldn't let him, no doubt they'll work it out on the ride home."

Gibbs nodded, his worried gaze drifting to the elevator. "What'd she say? How bad was it?"

Tony just shrugged, not wanting to go into details about what happened and his part in it.

* * *

"Tim, I am sorry," Ziva said, finally breaking the silence as she took the exit for Tim's apartment.

"It's okay."

"No, it is not. I know that you are not gay and I am sure that Tony is not either," she began to explain, "but I just got so upset when he continued asking about your romantic life."

Tim snorted.

"I am truly sorry," she stated again. "You are a good friend to me. Have been since I joined this team. I was only trying to help, but fear that I might have inadvertently made things worse."

"They're not worse."

"Tim, you left the bullpen, angry, embarrassed, and more annoyed than before. When you returned, you would not look at me and could not look at Tony. Even now, you do not want to be in this car with me. How is that not worse?"

When no answer was forthcoming, she continued, "I feel..." Ziva paused, not sure hot to put her thoughts and feelings into words. "I know how much you value your privacy. Even more so, I know how much you hate being teased about your romantic life and I made comments that could possibly bring about even more teasing.

"I said what I did to get to Tony. Hoping that it would help him realize that he is overly concerned with your romantic life, make him realized that he needed to stop. Unfortunately, I hurt you as well, most likely even more than I hurt him.

"Please forgive me. It is just," she paused, and released a small sigh, "Well, since we started this, I have noticed how much Tony does comment, tease, and mock your personal life. It was only a few months ago he pretended to be a girl online to get to you that way. I just got upset and frustrated for you."

Tim shuddered at another reminder of Claire.

"And," she continued after parking the car in front of his building and turning to look at him, "I realized that you were right…how easily in the past, I went along with him. I never said or did anything to stop him."

Silence enveloped the car as she looked for Tim, hoping for forgiveness.

"I…I'm going to drive myself tomorrow," Tim stated, not knowing what else to say. "I'll see you at work," he added as he opened the car door. "Uh, not sure if I'll be up for dinner or anything tomorrow night. I have a lot of thinking to do and some decisions to make," he clarified at her inquiring look.

Ziva frowned as his words penetrated, what exactly was he deciding about? "Okay," she responded, knowing that this wasn't the time to push him. "I am sorry," she repeated as the door closed. It was with a heavy heart that she watched her friend enter the building and disappear from view.

* * *

Tim was glad that Wednesday's work had comprised of cold cases. He had spent most of the night tossing and turning instead of sleeping peacefully. He kept on waiting for Gibbs to give him a headslap or pull him into the elevator to yell at him for his lack of focus and awareness, something that could be deadly if the team was required to go into the field. Even knowing that, he couldn't come to terms with all that happened yesterday. After his talk with Tony, he thought that the two had reached a milestone in their relationship. That the senior agent would _talk_ to him about things and not just tease or ridicule. He especially thought that those conversations would be done privately, more respectfully. He should've known that Tony wouldn't' change his methods. He was just as bad, if not worse, than before, Tim thought, as he remembered what Tony had said to Ziva about Tim's relationship.

And Ziva, Tim thought with a frown, while he was sure that Ziva didn't mean for things to get out of control, and that she was truly sorry for her words and actions, he was still angry over _how_ she had confronted Tony. He still hadn't made any decisions. He had enjoyed the time he and Ziva had spent together the last two weeks and had been looking forward to spending even more time with her this weekend and the next six weeks. Tim knew that his pretend relationship with Ziva was temporary, the date of April 1, was the reason they had started this charade in the first place, yet Tim couldn't help what he was feeling and thinking. Part of him knew the smart thing to do was to 'break it off' now, citing yesterday's incident as the excuse. It was probably best they did so before Tim completely fell for her and before she realized it. Automatically his hand went to his throat. No doubt if Ziva knew he was thinking about her as more than a friend, she would probably kill him and if by chance, she did not, it would make working together very uncomfortable, which lead to another decision he had to make.

His mind turned to the recent collection of job offers he had hidden in a hollowed out book at home. Usually, when he received those offers he would read them, feel a rush of pride at the terms, before politely refusing. Rarely had he given them any serious thought, but perhaps now it was time to think about a change. After years on the team, he was in the same position as he was when he started. Kate was no longer with them, he thought sadly, and while Ziva had been newer to investigating crimes, her past still left Tim the most inexperienced member of the four person team. While he could run rings around them in the cyber world, there was no way he could best any of the other three in combat, or stealth, or even gut-instinct. By dividing his time in the field and on the computer, his skills weren't advancing as much as one would hope.

His relationship with most of the team seemed to be stalled as well. Plus it seemed that no matter how much he learned or changed, Gibbs and Tony always saw him as the green rookie. He hadn't gotten any closer to Gibbs on a personal level. Even with knowing Tim longer than Ziva, those two had formed a closer, familial relationship that echoed the one Abby had with Gibbs. Gibbs still treated him as an agent, not like a true 'Gibbslet' as Abby referred to them. No where close to the relationship between Gibbs and Tony. Tony. Tim had finally realized that his relationship with the senior agent was never going to change. Tony might say he was concerned and wanted to help him, but his need for entertainment and amusement seemed to take precedent over everything else, including Tim's emotions. Maybe it was time to cut his losses and seek employment elsewhere.

Tony looked over at McGee in concern when the young agent emitted a long, sorrowful sigh. He suspected trouble with the girlfriend, or rather, potential girlfriend. He longed to ask Tim what the problem was, but after yesterday, was pretty sure he wouldn't get a response, at least, not a nice one.

Ziva cast her worried eyes onto Tim. She was still worried about exactly what he thought he needed to make a decision about. The obvious issue, was the pretend relationship the two of them had begun. However, Ziva suspected that more than that was weighing on Tim's mind. She was afraid he was debating whether to leave the team or NCIS as well.

It was one of the quietest days Gibbs had ever experienced at NCIS, at least, when Tony was present. He couldn't keep his worried gaze off of his team members. He wanted to confront them and ask them what was going on, but he suspected that that would only make things worse. Best to let them work it out among themselves. Besides, it wasn't like they were doing anything wrong. Yes, Tim did seem a bit distracted, and if they had a call out Gibbs would be forced to address the issue if it continued in the field or temporary bench him, but unless that point, he wouldn't single the young agent out. Each of them were at their desk, diligently reviewing cold case files. He couldn't force them to talk to each other or ask questions, nor to throw paper airplanes or spitballs at one another. All he could do was watch, and dismiss them for the day as soon as he could, hoping that an early night and some sleep would bring his team back.

* * *

8-16-18


	32. Thursday Feb 19, Roads (J32)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Tim finished his cup of coffee before rubbing a hand over his face. Even after showering and getting ready for work he still wasn't sure if he was going to be able to face the day. Last night had been another restless one, so bad that he didn't even go for a run this morning, but spent the extra time in bed hoping it would make a difference,make him feel more rested. It hadn't. He had spent most of the time thinking, which definitely wasn't relaxing. He also was no closer to making a decision regarding his life than he was yesterday. Part of him almost wished for a sign, or for something to happen that would take the decision out of his hands.

With a sigh, he reached for Jethro's leash, the dog immediately at his side. The only thing he knew for sure was that he missed spending time with Ziva. He had actually been surprised by how much he had missed her last night. On the way home, Tim had automatically pulled into the Italian restaurant to pick up food for the two of them before he remembered that he told her he would be too busy for company. He had immediately left the restaurant, without getting any food and returned to his quiet apartment. He had the feeling that he wasn't the only one getting attached, Jethro seemed to be missing her as well.

He shook his head, hoping to dislodge those thoughts from his mind as he opened the lobby door. Hopefully some fresh air will help him come to a decision. Neither Tony nor Ziva were known for their patience, he couldn't imagine either one of them letting another day of silence pass between them.

"Hey,"

Tim swirled at the voice, "Ziva," he said in surprise, catching sight of the brunette leaning against the building. "What are you doing here?" he asked as Jethro immediately lunged for her.

"Hey, there boy," Ziva said, petting the dog, her eyes locked on Tim. "I was hoping we could talk."

"I have to walk Jethro," he pointed out, tugging on the dog's leash to get him moving.

"That's fine," she agreed, falling into step with him. "So, have you made any decisions?"

"Not really," Tim stated. "Everything kept circling around and around in my mind. It got to the point that I couldn't tell up from down, right from wrong, or what was best."

Ziva nodded, unsurprised by his words. "These decisions," she hesitated, "Is it about us? About the plan, I mean?"

"Some, yeah," he admitted.

She nodded again, expecting that, "And the others?"

"Just other things I need to think about."

"Okay, so what are you thinking about us, the plan?" she corrected.

Tim just shrugged.

"Tim," She pleaded, "Talk to me. Tell me what you are thinking, please."

Another shrug.

"Sometimes you are so easy to read," she began. "You rarely hide your emotions; your thoughts are portrayed on your face. Other times," she paused, "Like now, you seal everything up. I do not know why the difference occurs. But I do know that you do not seem like you when you shut everything up. Please, tell me," she asked again.

Tim continued the walk in silence for a few more steps. "I'm thinking that the plan isn't going according to plan," he began. "It was nice not having Tony tease me about not having a date for Valentine's Day, but I never expected that he would be so curious about my date."

"Tim," Ziva interrupted, "I am sorry about what I said in the bullpen the other day. I did not mean it. Well, I meant it because I said it" she corrected, "and I wanted Tony to see how he was acting, but I did not, do not, believe that it is the truth," she awkwardly finished.

"I know," Tim said with a small smile, it was rare to see Ziva uncomfortable about something. "I guess part of me expected two months of quiet because of this plan. I should've known Tony would never be quiet," he added, sharing a grin with Ziva.

"I'm also realizing a lot of other things because it," he said. "Things I'm not sure I want to know."

"Like what?" A curious Ziva asked.

Tim shrugged.

"No, you can't just leave it at that," Ziva informed him.

"Like my place and role on the team," he admitted. "How I'm viewed and treated, especially in comparison to others. How I _want_ to be viewed and treated. I'm realizing that maybe Tony isn't just the happy-go-lucky frat boy he seems. Don't quite know what else he might be yet," Tim joked before continuing, "That you,"

"Yes?" she prodded when he paused.

"That I really liked it when you defended me to Tony on Tuesday, er, at the beginning," he explained, "Before I became too embarrassed to stay."

Ziva gave a small smile. "What else?"

Tim hesitated, how do you explain that you realize that you're in a rut? That you've just been going through the motions of life? Going with the flow so to speak, automatically reacting instead of acting on what you really wanted?

"Tim?"

"I'm trying to figure out exactly what I want from my life," Tim quietly admitted, "And how best to make that happen, going after it, rather than hoping it falls into my lap."

"And how does the plan fit in?"

Tim shrugged, "As I said, it's making me realize a lot of things."

"Then wouldn't it be best to continue with the plan?"

"Maybe."

His answer gave her hope.

"Or maybe not," he added, dashing that hope. "Regardless, I've enjoyed the time we've spent together,"

"As have I," Ziva admitted, wanting to share how much she missed spending time with him last night. How upset she had been over what she had said and done. How nervous she was that he would not forgive her. How afraid she was that he wanted to stop the plan, that things between them would be awkward and uncomfortable. That she might have ruined the best friendship she had ever had when it had barely even started.

"But is the plan preventing me from moving forward?"

The question hung heavily between them.

"Let me ask you this," Ziva started, "Is spending time with me, dinner dates, drives, grocery shopping, helping you in this path of self-discovery? Would stopping that, those activities, keep you from finding those answers or is the time we spend together beneficial to the cause?

"You are not the only one who is becoming aware of other things," she admitted. "I do not think it would have happened if we hadn't started down this road. I can also say, that I am glad that I am not on this road by myself. It helps to know that someone is traveling in the same direction, especially since I suspect that sooner or later _I_ will hit a pothole or stumbling block on the journey."

Tim nodded, realizing what she meant, "So this is a pothole?"

"Perhaps. Only you can determine that. Perhaps a pothole, perhaps a sinkhole. Maybe you need to take a detour or," she hesitated, swallowing hard, "Get off the road altogether. Only you can determine what you need."

Ziva looked at him, "Of course, there is no reason why, if you continue on the same road now, you cannot take a detour or get off the road at a later point."

Tim looked at her. "Do you want to continue down this road?"

"I do not mind if we do," she replied.

"Honesty, Ziva," he reminded her, meeting her gaze, "That's not really an anwer."

"I am enjoying it," she admitted. "Enjoying spending time with you, getting to know you better. Like you, I am learning a lot. I am also a bit…fearful about what I am discovering, but yes, I do want to continue, for better or for worse."

Tim grinned at that phrasing.

"What?" She asked, repeating the word when Tim just shook his head.

"Just…well, that phrase, for better or for worse is traditionally part of a couple's wedding vows," he explained.

She returned his grin, understanding the reason for it. "I can see why, it would cover every situation," she commented. "Have you made a decision yet?"

Tim was silent as he once more thought about his options. He knew what he should do. He also knew what he wanted to do.

"You said the plan wasn't going according to plan," Ziva reminded him when he failed to respond to her last question. "Perhaps we can change that? I agree that Tony will never be quiet, so two months of peace was probably too much to hope for. That does not mean that we need to give up. Perhaps if we continue we can figure something out."

"Perhaps," he agreed. "I'll have to think about it, for now we should head back," he stated as he reversed direction back towards his apartment.

Ziva sighed as she followed him.

Tim remained silent as they walked back to his apartment. He had asked for a sign, hadn't really expected to receive one, but he had asked. Maybe Ziva showing up _was_ that sign. What did he have to lose? Other than his heart, of course, he thought. Ziva was right, continuing down this road now did not mean he couldn't change his mind later.

"Want some breakfast before we head in?" Tim asked as he opened the door to his apartment building.

"That depends" Ziva smiled, suspecting that Tim had truly forgiven her and was going to continue with the plan, "Do you have any yogurt?"

* * *

Tony had arrived at work early that morning. He had been hoping to catch Tim before Ziva came in so that they could talk. The silence from yesterday seemed to echo in his ears. He wondered if it wasn't just the situation with him and Ziva that weighed on his Probie's mind. Perhaps the girlfriend had shown her true colors and dumped McGee, using him for the holiday as Abby thought.

He looked up eagerly when the elevator chimed and the doors opened. To his surprise, Tim and Ziva stepped out together, animatedly talking to one another. "Morning," he called, when they started past his desk without noticing him.

As if they were one, they stopped and stared at him. "Morning, Tony" they replied in unison.

"I got treats," he said, indicating the box of pastries on the corner of his desk.

Tim looked at it suspiciously, "What did you do to them?"

"Probie, I'm hurt," Tony replied, clutching his chest mockingly.

"Right," Tim snorted, "Ziva, since you can kill him eighteen different ways with a paperclip, maybe you won't mind being my food tester?"

Ziva smirked as she opened the box, "I would love to," she answered, looking at the selection Tony had gotten. "Hmm, no blueberry or raspberry for you, and I'm going to take the cherry," she added, taking one out of the box and putting it aside before looking at the others, "Hmm, looks like apple for you, Tim," she stated, holding out the plate and pastry to Tim after she took a bite. "Are my teeth dyed fluorescent?"

Tim leaned in to get a closer look, "Nope, not yet at least," he grinned.

"C'mon guys," Tony pleaded, "I didn't do anything to them."

"If you did, I'll kill you DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he picked the raspberry pastry out of the box.

Tony stared at him in shock, usually Gibbs wasn't one for sweets and pastries when the team brought something in. "Uh, I didn't, I swear," he said.

Tim nodded, "Good enough for me," he said taking the offered plate from Ziva, "Thanks, Zee."

"I have your six," She commented with a grin and a raised eyebrow, watching him as he walked to his desk.

Tony looked between the two, no doubt about it, Tim had forgiven Ziva. Hopefully that meant he would be forgiven as well.

* * *

Gibbs sat at his desk as he watched his team. He had observed Tim and Ziva as they entered the bullpen together and knew that they had made up. Watching them gang up on Tony indicated that no hard feelings were present there either. In celebration, he decided to have one of the treats Tony had brought it. The fact that his actions shocked his agents just added to his enjoyment.

He did, however, notice the sideways glances Tony kept shooting in Tim's direction, as if he had something he needed to say to the younger agent. He gave a nod of his head, first chance he got, he would make sure the two men had time to talk.

Just as he was thinking that, his phone rang. "Gibbs…uh-huh…Okay" he said before hanging up the phone, "Gear up," he called out before informing his team what awaited them.

* * *

"Tim," Tony began as the van exited the Yard. He was grateful that Gibbs had placed the two of them together, since it provided him with an opportunity to talk to Tim. He was even more grateful that Gibbs had tossed him the keys.

"Tony, it's okay," Tim injected, suspecting the topic the older man wanted to discuss.

Tony debated what to do. It would be very easy to just go along with Probie and drop the subject, but was that the best thing?

"Just tell me, this," Tony began, "Is everything all right?"

Tim's eyes flew to Tony's, surprised at the serious tone in the senior agent's voice.

"Not just between us, or between you and Ziva," Tony added, "But with you and your gi-, your friend. I get that you were mad at us, and you had a right to be," Tony added, "but even though you are talking to Ziva and I today, you still, well, you look like you haven't slept much."

Tony frowned, "And I don't mean because you were involved in some all-night activities," he added. "Usually the only thing that can keep a guy from a full night's sleep, in a bad way, is a fight with his partner."

"I…things are good," Tim finally said. "We had a disagreement, but we're working on it."

"You sure?" Tony asked. "If you need advice, I'm here for you."

"I…thanks," Tim replied quietly.

Tony nodded, before asking, "So, what'd you fight about? Where to eat? Whose bed to sleep in? Who gets to be on top?"

"Tony,"

"Wait…she wasn't jealous about me, was she?" Tony teased.

Tim snorted, "No, though she did have a few things to say about Claire."

"I…oh," Tony stopped speaking in shock.

Tim smirked.

"She knows about that?"

"Yep" Tim replied gleefully.

Tony frowned as he wondered what that meant, "Ah, yeah, I don't think I want to meet her anymore."

Tim snickered.

"Probie! Why did you have to tell her that?"

Tim shrugged, "I didn't. Well, yeah, I guess maybe I did, but not recently. I told you, I've known her for a while, it's only recently that we've started going out on dates."

"So, she was around when it happened," Tony deduced, catching Tim's confirmation nod out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm surprised you mentioned it," Tony stated quietly, continuing when Tim went to speak, "Today, I mean. To me. It seemed like…"

"Like I was mad about it?" Tim offered. "I was. Mad, furious, upset, hurt, take your pick."

"Then why,"

Tim shrugged, "Because it happened. I can't change it, or anything else from the past. Staying mad about it wasn't doing me any good. It just made me madder at you every time you mentioned my love life, which," he added pointed, "As Ziva stated, happens very frequently."

Tony shrugged dismissively, "Told you why earlier this week."

"Yeah, and right after you mocked my love life in the squad room for everyone to hear."

Tony shrugged again, after all, Ziva had done something similar to both of them.

"You weren't fighting about your first kiss, were you?"

"That was a week ago," Tim replied.

"The fight or the kiss?" Tony teased, causing Tim to roll his eyes. "You know, you still owe me details, Probie."

With a resigned sigh, he gave in, partly because he knew Tony would never let up on the subject until he had his information and partly because he was stuck in the car with him. The remainder of the drive had Tim sharing the scenario he had explained to Ziva before their first kiss.

* * *

8-19-18


	33. Thursday-Friday, Feb 19-20 (J33)

Sorry it took so long, the last few chapters were a surprise for me. I didn't plan on the story going there, but it did...guess we'll have to see what happens next.

Not beta'd; don't own NCIS in any way, shape, or form.

* * *

That evening, Gibbs observed his team, out of sight from the three agents. Tony and Tim were back to normal, though whether or not that was a good thing was yet to be decided. Ziva had been quiet and preoccupied on the ride down to the crime scene, but did not let it interfere with what needed to be done at the crime scene.

He thought back to the conversation they had during that drive.

 _"Ziva?" Gibbs questioned, staring at Ziva for a moment before he moved his eyes back to the road._

 _"Ziva?" he repeated, touching her arm with his hand when she failed to respond to his second inquiry as well._

 _"Yes?" she asked trying to hide her surprise. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she had almost forgotten where she was and who she was with._

 _"How worried should I be?" He asked, building on his question from last week._

 _"He told me that he had a lot of decisions to make," Ziva shared. "Some regarding our rela-this plan" she corrected, "But others...they are much more serious."_

 _"What the hell happened the other day?" Gibbs scowled at the wheel, hand itching to headslap someone._

 _"This is not just the result from other day," Ziva admitted._

 _"And your…arrangement?"_

 _Ziva shrugged, "Nothing has really been decided yet, however, we both admitted that we are enjoying spending the time together, so we will continue to do so until a decision has been made."_

 _Gibbs' hands gripped the wheel tightly before slowly easing up. He remained silent, partly because he wasn't sure what to say and partly in the hope that Ziva would continue speaking, even if it was against her better judgment._

 _As the silence continued, Ziva stared out the window next to her, the view a blur they drove past._

 _"Do you think he will ask for advice regarding these decisions?" Gibbs finally asked, breaking into her thoughts._

 _"I…I do not know."_

 _Gibbs sighed "Well, since you two are spending time together anyway, see what you can do to help him."_

 _"Always," Ziva replied instinctively, before adding, "However, I believe this is something Timothy thinks he needs to decide on his own."_

 _"And if he makes the wrong decision?"_

 _Silence. Gibbs bit back a sigh and continued the drive to the crime scene. It was not until they arrived that she spoke again. Softly, as if making a promise to herself than answering his question._

 _"I will still be with him and do my best to help him, however he lets me."_

On the return trip, he had decided to have Tim and Ziva ride together in the van, while he and Tony traveled in the sedan. His conversation with Tony was mostly regarding the case, except for another warning regarding leaving Tim's personal life alone.

Ziva and Tim's conversation he wasn't privy to, but the two had not returned to the bullpen angry or upset. In fact, they seemed very at ease and in peace with one another. A positive sign, Gibbs hoped.

* * *

Friday morning Tim, Jethro, and Ziva resumed running together. On the drive in, Tim tentatively broached a subject that his neighbor had reminded him of.

"I…" Tim began before breaking off.

"What?" She asked. "You know you can talk to me about anything."

"I was wondering about this weekend," Tim stated. "We had talked about going away, but then…" his voice trailed off.

"Then I ruined everything."

"No," Tim objected, "You didn't ruin anything. If anything, I have, since I haven't completely decided what I want to do," Tim informed her. "Anyway, my neighbor called to ask if I still needed them to watch Jethro for me since I hadn't gotten back to them. I wasn't sure if you still wanted to go away."

"I think it would be good for us," Ziva finally shared, jumping at the opportunity. "Spend some time together without worrying about work or Tony. Get away from our normal routine."

Tim nodded able to see the value in that. "Okay, that just leaves the question of what to do this weekend."

"Well, what would you normally do on a weekend we weren't scheduled to work?"

Tim shrugged, "Not much. I usually don't make any plans since I never know what the work week would be like. I often use the weekend to catch up on things I didn't get a chance to do during the week, like cleaning, laundry, shopping.

"Wow," Tim said softly in dismay, "I really am as boring as Tony says."

"You are not," Ziva argued, only to receive a skeptical look from her teammate.

"Right," Tim muttered as he tried to think of something that would not only hold Ziva's interest, but help them both relax, have fun, and get to know each other better. He remained silent as he tried to think about the possibilities.

"What are you thinking?" she asked when he remained silent for a few minutes.

"Nothing really comes to mind," he admitted. "You mentioned wanting a weekend with sunshine and warmer temperatures," he reminded her. "Any particular place?"

"I…no."

"Ziva," he prodded, confident that she was keeping things from him, "Tell me."

"I…it's silly."

"I can like silly," Tim teased, trying to put her at ease.

"I, well, I have never been to an amusement place," she quietly admitted.

"Amusement place," Tim repeated as he tried to work out what she meant. "Do you mean an amusement park or a comedy show?"

"The former," she admitted. "It does not seem like a place to go to by yourself. I doubt it would be as much fun."

"That is most likely true," Tim nodded, his fingers already on typing away on his phone. "The weekend wouldn't be much time for the major parks in Florida, especially if you've never been before, but there are some smaller parks that we could spend some time at, perhaps do some sightseeing as well," he suggested. "I think it is very possible. We can make flight and hotel reservations on our phones once we decide exactly where we are going. The only challenge is getting the opportunity to pack, especially if we leave tonight."

Ziva smiled, "Maybe at lunch time we can drive home and pack."

* * *

Tim paused in his conversation with Tony when his phone chimed, showing a new text.

 _'I wish Gibbs had sent the two of us out.'_

 _'You and me both'_

 _'We might have been able to swing by our apartments to pack.'_

 _'Definitely can't do that now,'_ Tim texted back. He could just imagine Tony's reaction if he mentioned that he wanted to go home to pack. Not only did he not want Tony in his apartment, he didn't want to tell Tony about his plans for this weekend, since he knew that Tony would not let the subject be once he had a sliver of information.

 _'Do you think we will have enough time to catch our flight?'_

 _'Don't worry, we'll make it happen, even if we have to grab our go bags for toiletries and buy clothes there :)'_

 _'I'd hate to waste our time away by shopping.'_

 _'You're a rare woman to say that.'_

 _'Say what?'_

 _'Waste time by shopping. My sister, mom, even my grandmother would use any excuse to go shopping. For you not to eagerly embrace the situation makes you a rare woman.'_

 _'Hmm, well in case you have not noticed, I really am not like other women.'_

 _'I know…and appreciate it,'_ he typed while smiling at the screen.

 _'How difficult is Tony being?'_

 _'Eh, he was fine for a bit, then took things too far as usual.'_

 _'I am sorry to hear that.'_

"Hey who are you texting now?" Tony asked, "You've been on your phone all day."

"Just trying to make plans with a friend."

"The potential?" Tony smirked.

Tim rolled his eyes and just continued texting Ziva.

 _'It's fine, it's not like it's anything new or that I didn't expect it.'_

 _'Still, I wish things were different.'_

Tim smiled sadly at his phone and thought, me too, but only texted, _:)_

 _'I got us a hotel room.'_

 _'Ziva! I told you I would take care of that.'_

 _'You were out in the field working, and I was sitting at my desk. Besides it is the least I could do. It was my idea to go away,_ _ **I**_ _picked the place and activity. I can't expect you to elbow all the costs, you already paid for the flight.'_

Tim couldn't help but laugh at this new Zivaism, especially since she wasn't here to glare at him for doing so.

"What?" Tony asked, sneaking a long glance at Tim and trying to view his phone.

 _'Shoulder, shoulder all the costs.'_

"What's so funny?" Tony asked again.

 _'Ugh! Elbow, shoulder, they are both part of the arm, are they not?'_

 _'And stop laughing!'_

Tim smiled at her text before replying.

 _'I'm not laughing'_

 _'HA! I don't believe that'_

 _'Would I lie to you?'_

 _'Not to my face, but perhaps you think you have a better chance of succeeding by text.'_

 _'Which you do not. I still do not believe that you were not laughing.'_

 **(** _'Remember, this is a favor for me, you should not waste your money on this prank'_ **)** Tim paused, and reread what he wrote. That sentence seemed wrong on so many levels, the first of which was that whatever was happening between him and Ziva seemed so much more than a prank, at least it did to him, and secondly, well, he still hadn't decided to continue with the prank. He quickly backspaced, typed, and sent,

 _'This weekend originated as part of a favor for me. I brought it up again, it's not right for you to waste your money on the accrued cost.'_

 _'Spending $ or time with you is not a waste. I have enjoyed all of our times together. And I am not looking for a candy daddy, I can pay my share.'_

Tim smiled and gave a small laugh at this comment as well as he debated whether or not to correct it and Ziva's response if he did.

 _'I have the feeling that I got that wrong...go ahead, correct me, tell me that it is suppose to be..'_

Tim read Ziva's newest text, he could almost imagine her sighing as she wrote it.

 _'Sugar daddy, and yes, before you say anything, candy is mostly comprised of sugar.'_

 _'It is more the daddy part that concerns me'_

 _'Why? You got that part right.'_

 _'Yes. I remembered that part because it bothered me so. I cannot imagine referring someone I was sleeping with as daddy.'_

Tim gulped, yeah, he could see how that could be an issue. _'It's due to the fact that he is taking care of her um,_ ' Tim paused not wanting to use the term needs, but unable to think of a more fitting word, ' _physical needs-food, clothing, shelter'_

 _'Ha! I'm glad you understand and get my point.'_

 _'I do,'_ he agreed, smiling at his own text.

 _'Texting those vows now, are we?'_

 _'Hey, I'm a computer geek, there's no reason why I cannot use modern technology in my wedding'_

"Wedding?" Tony squeaked, causing Tim to jump in his seat. He had momentarily forgotten where he was and that Tony was sitting next to him. Tony had taken advantage of the stop at a red light and had peered over Tim's shoulder to read the latest text.

"Eyes on the road and off my phone, DiNozzo," Tim snapped, sending a quick text to Ziva.

 _'Gotta go, someone's looking over my shoulder.'_

"Wedding?" Tony repeated. "Probie, tell me you haven't proposed."

"I haven't proposed," Tim repeated dutifully.

"Probie!"

"Tony!" Tim returned, shocking the older man into silence with his response. Luckily for Tim, Tony didn't return to his normal self until they were pulling into the Navy Yard.

* * *

Gibbs waited until Tony had left the bullpen. He had continued to watch his team and suspected that Tim and Ziva were up to something. Both of them spending more time on their phone than normal. It was unlike his agents to goof off when there was a case. He hadn't said anything because not only were they discreet, but they still tracked down leads that eventually led to an arrest. The only thing left now were there reports, and if he knew McGee, his was almost complete.

"McGee, what is the status of your report?"

Tim jerked his head up in surprise, "Oh, um, almost done," he admitted.

"Ziva?"

She frowned, "Just starting."

He nodded, "If I let you leave early, before they are complete, will you have them to me by 0700 Monday?"

They blinked in shock. Gibbs never let them leave before a report was completed, unless there was an emergency of some kind.

"Um, is everything all right?" Tim asked, worried that he had missed something.

"Fine. Just thought you might want to get a head start on your weekend."

Tim met Ziva's eyes across the bullpen, silently communicating.

"Yes." Ziva decided. "I can have it finished by 0700 Monday."

"Me too," Tim shared.

"Fine. Go, get out of here," he informed them, with a nod of his head. "Go," he repeated when they just stared at him.

Moving quickly before he could change his mind, the two quickly saved what they were working on, shut down their systems, and began gathering their belongings.

Once his agents started to move, Gibbs picked up his coffee and stood up. "Have a good weekend," Gibbs smirked, as he headed towards the breakroom.

"Er, yeah, right. Thanks, boss," Tim replied, as he joined Ziva and headed towards the elevator. "Do you think he knows about our plans?" he asked once the doors closed.

"Who can tell with Gibbs? And if he did, obviously he approves or he wouldn't have let us leave before our reports were completed."

"True," Tim agreed, deciding it wasn't worth worrying about. They had enough time to stop by both apartments, pack, and head to the airport.

* * *

9-8-18

A/N: It also doesn't help that I have over 16 stories that I am working on (well, 16 other NCIS stories, other stories for other fandoms or original works).


	34. Saturday Feb 21, Fun in the Sun (J34)

They didn't have much luggage, a small carry on bag for each of them and a personal item, so luckily did not have to check any baggage. Ziva was surprised that Tim had brought his laptop with him, but decided it was probably the writer in him that had done so. Even if he preferred using his typewriter, she couldn't imagine him lugging that around.

Once the flight was underway and they had permission to use electronic devices, Tim had asked Ziva if she wanted to work on her report, explaining that he had a rough template on his laptop and she could use that. Once they returned to the office, Tim could help her transfer the data to the proper forms. Ziva quickly agreed, deciding it was best to work on it while fresh in her mind.

The trip passed without incidence, and once they landed and disembarked, they quickly picked up their rental car and were heading towards the hotel. After spending time in the mornings getting ready together and sharing a room the week before due to a case, being enclosed in the small hotel room wasn't that awkward. Tim was hesitant for a few minutes when he exited the bathroom, hoping that Ziva. Before long, they were settled into their beds, with the alarms set.

"Oh! What is that?" Ziva exclaimed as she came to an abrupt halt and pointing at a large metal structure in the distance. They had decided to take breakfast with them as they traveled to the park, Tim wanting her to be there for the park opening to get the full experience. After buying their tickets and entering the gate, Ziva had looked around her in amazement. The colors, the sounds, it all seemed so unreal to her as her gaze flitted from one item to the next. Tim had enjoyed seeing Ziva so awed at her surroundings. He was very glad that she did not hear him chuckle as the thought that she was like a kid let loose in a candy store came to mind.

"I don't know," Tim admitted as he stopped beside her, "I've never been here before."

"You up for it?" she challenged.

"I'm game if you are," he promised.

"Good, race you there," she called as she took off, Tim right on her heels as they zigged and zagged their way through the crowd of people and the park to reach their destination.

Tim slowed down as he carefully looked in front of him, no longer able to see Ziva. He didn't think she got caught in the crowd, but then again, perhaps she did and he passed her, he thought as he stopped and turned around to look for his friend. Not seeing her in the direction that they came from, he pivoted his head in all directions, looking for her trademark hair and the blue shirt that she had adorned that morning.

"Um, Ziva," Tim started as he reached the line that Ziva had entered, "This isn't the ride you pointed at earlier."

"I know," she smiled, "But everyone coming off of this one looked so happy, I wanted to try it."

"We can do that," Tim smiled at her happily, "Just give me a heads up, I didn't realize you had changed direction."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I forgot that with this crowd you might not have seen me turn."

"It's okay, I just want to make sure we don't lose each other, that would ruin the point of coming together," he stated with a smile. "And it would be a shame if we spent more time looking for each other than on these rides."

Ziva laughed, "Then we will have to make sure that that does not happen."

* * *

"You seriously want to go on that again?" Ziva asked in shock. They had spent the past few hours flitting from one ride to the next. Neither one of them willing to veto something the other suggested.

Tim nodded enthusiastically, "It was fun."

"I…" Ziva paused as she looked at him. "The spinning didn't make you sick?"

"Nope."

"What about the tilting?"

"Nope."

"The up and down motion?" she inquired, sighing when he shook his head. "I…okay," she reluctantly agreed with a sigh, getting in line for the ride for the third time, "Let's go."

As the couple staggered off the ride a half hour later, Ziva pleaded, "Please don not tell me that you want to ride that again."

Tim held onto the fence to keep his balance, "No, I'm good," he promised. "Three is definitely my limit."

"Now where?" Ziva asked, looking around.

"How about something a bit tamer, then we can stop for lunch?" he suggested.

Ziva smirked, "After three times on that, anything is tamer," she teased.

Tim grinned at her before walking over to one of the family rides, Ziva quickly catching up to join him.

* * *

"Three chances for $5. Win the little lady a present," the announcer cried to Tim as they walked past the entrance to the gaming area.

"Oh, Tim, please, will you win me a present?" Ziva asked innocently.

Tim snorted, "I bet that you probably have a better chance of winning yourself a prize," he laughed, both at the announcer and at her routine.

"You're on," she agreed as she confidently entered the Midway, Tim beside her.

"You sure you want to do this? I thought you wanted to experience the rides?"

Ziva shrugged, "I want to experience everything. The rides, the shows, the food, the games, the total experience."

"Okay then, just remember, anything we win we have to carry around all day," he warned.

"I think we have the muscles to do so," she declared, eyeing the various prizes on display at each stand.

"Not what I meant," Tim muttered.

"Which game should we play?" She asked as she looked around at their options.

"Depends, do you want a game based on luck or skill?" he asked, pretty confident of her answer.

"Skill."

As he expected. "Right, then, just know that things are often stacked in the house's favor. Even games of skills," he advised. When she looked at him inquiringly, he continued, walking down the aisle and pointing to each game as they passed, "Balloons are not completely filled, so they are harder to pop; Bottles are often weighed down on the bottom, guns might tilt to one side or not shoot straight; balls not inflated, so have less bounce or power on impact."

She frowned as she now looked at the games with different eyes, "Sounds like even the games of skills rely more on luck."

"They can," he agreed, earning a nod of acknowledgement from his companion. "Remember, they are in this to make money."

"Cynic."

"Realist," he defended himself, as Ziva made a decision and approached one of the callers.

An hour later Tim tried to keep from laughing. A frustrated Ziva shouldn't be funny, yet it was.

Ziva finally gave up arguing with the guy and approached Tim, scowling when she saw the amusement on his face. With a sigh, she said, "I understand what you mean now about the houses favor. Even with your warning that last game was challenging. It was hard to compensate when every ball had a different weight and feel to it."

"You still did well," he said, nodding towards the pile of prizes atop the table he was at.

"Some of those are yours."

"Nope," he grinned, "I won them for the 'little lady."

"Then the ones I won are now yours," she retorted. "Though I still think I should've gotten one on that last game."

"Somehow, I don't think we'll miss it," he teased.

She smiled at him in reply, "Now where?"

Looking again at the pile on the table, he responded, "I suggest the gift shop to get a bag," he advised. Luckily, they hadn't 'traded up' any of their prizes, so they were all fairly small and would fit in their luggage. "After that we can rent a locker to store it in so we won't have to worry about holding onto it while on the rides, carrying it around, or accidentally leaving it somewhere."

"Ah, that's what you meant earlier," Ziva realized.

* * *

"Oh!" Tim exclaimed, suddenly grabbing a hold of Ziva's hand and dragging her away.

"Tim! I thought we were going to ride this one?"

"We will," he promised, "I just remembered something that we hadn't done yet."

"And you want to do it now?"

"Yep. Sunset is the perfect time for it."

"Okay, what is it?"

"The carousel," he replied proudly.

"The one with the horses that do not go anywhere?" she asked in doubt.

"It's a classic," Tim returned. "The carousel at this park is one of the oldest in the US, dating back to the late 1800's. It has been carefully restored to remain the same as it was when it was first unveiled."

Ziva raised an eyebrow, surprised that Tim had none that information. "I thought you hadn't been here before?"

"I haven't," he agreed, "But I read about it a long time ago. I...One of my first science projects I created a replica of a carousel, showing how it works, the belt, pulley, gears, everything," he added.

Ziva smiled at his enthusiasm, "And how old were you?"

"Eight."

"And did you win?" Ziva asked, suspecting that he had.

"No," he answered with a frown, continuing before she could ask, "Some kid with a baking soda volcano one," he stated, shaking his head. "Though I don't know why...there were at least 5 volcanoes there that day. Of course, only half of them actually worked. The winning one had actually colored the lava and had lava stones on display as well."

"But why did you not win?

Tim shrugged, "They didn't believe that I had done it all myself."

"Oh," she replied morosely, upset for her friend. "So tell me more about this carousel," she encouraged, hoping to see him smile again. Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Tim began talking, not just about this carousel, but the history of carousels in general. Only stopping when they reached the front of the line.

"That was nice," Ziva commented once their ride ended.

Tim shrugged, "I know it's not very exciting, but as I said, it is a classic."

"Seems very popular with couples," Ziva added. It was hard not to notice all the couples, many without children, who also seemed to enjoy that ride.

Tim just shrugged and looked away, not saying a word.

"Thank you," Ziva said, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I am glad you suggested it."

* * *

"Oh my, I want one of everything," Ziva admitted as she looked at the display of sweets in the case.

"Then you'll be the one who might feel sick," he teased.

"And that would be a waste of the day as well. Usually I am not one for junk food but this place really makes it all look good. Candy and caramel apples, fudge, sno-cones, cotton candy, ice cream, fried dough, fried Oreos…wait, fried Oreos?" she repeated herself, her voice full of awe and shock.

"I think you have your winner," Tim teased before he placed the order for her.

"Hmm, it appears I do."

"Plus," Tim added, whispering as if talking to a conspirator, "Many of those snacks pack and travel well. We can bring them home with us."

"Oh! I like that idea a lot," she replied. "I will even leave out some of my prizes if need be to make room for them."

* * *

Ziva looked at the giant cups in surprise. "When you said tea cups, I thought you meant, well, cups for tea, that you were thirsty."

Tim grinned, "Nope. Another classic. I figure if you've never been to an amusement park before, then you have never been on this ride either."

"I have not," she admitted. "What does it do?"

"Just spins around," Tim replied innocently.

Ziva nodded, "Okay, I can handle that," she agreed, as the two entered the line.

Twenty minutes later, they exited their cup and sat on a bench nearby.

"Just spins around," Ziva muttered. "You have the large platform that spins, the base holding four cups that spin, and each individual cup also spinning. That is not just spinning around. That could be a recipe for disaster if we had done that right after we had eaten."

"You okay?" Tim asked, worriedly.

"Fine. Just was not expecting that. It seemed so innocuous, I mean they are tea cups," she explained. "I do not think I will ever look at my tea cups in the same way. I am not sure if we had a good cup or a bad cup," she added.

Tim frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well, our cup kept spinning the entire time, seemed like it was going pretty fast, as well. Some of those other cups were barely moving," she explained. "I am not sure which is best. Yes, I am a bit dizzy from all that spinning, but at the same time, I think I would've been disappointed if I had been in a cup that barely moved."

"Uh, Ziva," Tim began hesitantly, "You, er, the rider, controls how much the individual cups spin," he admitted.

She stared at him, eyes narrowing, "You were controlling that?"

Not trusting his voice, Tim nodded.

She sighed, thinking back to the cup design, "The metal table in the middle?"

Another nod.

Ziva shook her head, "How did you get so good at it?"

"Sarah," Tim explained. "That was her favorite ride and she really liked it to spin a lot. I'm sorry. I didn't even think that you might not want that much spinning."

Ziva waved away his apology. "It is okay. As I said, I just wasn't expecting it. None of the other cups seemed to spin as much, so I didn't even know it was possible. I am not upset or mad," she added, seeing Tim's face. "Really. And I am fine."

"As long as you are okay."

"I am," she said standing up. "But I _will_ be picking out our next ride."

* * *

Ziva lifted an eyebrow when Tim entered the same car as her. "Are you sure you want to ride with me? I am driving."

"I know," Tim stated. "And I figure it would be safer with you than out there," he waved his hand towards the field filled with bumper cars, "against you."

"Hmm, just make sure you wear your seatbelt," she smirked.

"Already done," Tim admitted. "And even though I have commented on your driving," he began, making sure not to include any reference to Cruella DeVil, "You have never hit anything while others were in the car. I know I can trust you."

Ziva blinked at the honesty and sincerity of his words. "Well, yes, but this time, the object _is_ to hit others."

Tim grimaced as the operator chose that moment to start the ride, "I'm doomed," he muttered, wondering if these cars had airbags.

* * *

"We should go back to the games," a tired Ziva stated, steering Tim in that direction. "We can test our luck again."

"You just want to go back to whack-a-mole," he smiled.

"It is a fun game," she admitted, "And a good way to release anger and tension. I wish I had it on the second of this month."

"The second?" Tim repeated with a frown. That was the day they came up with the plan, was she regretting that? If she was, it made his choice about whether or not to continue with the plan an easier one.

"Yes, it would have been very easy to pretend that the mole was a ground hog."

Tim laughed in relief, "Or Tony."

"Yes, or Tony," She agreed, also laughing, "Hmm, perhaps you should see about buying a copy of that game."

Tim snorted "One, I have better things to spend my money on and two, where would I put it? My apartment is already pretty cramped."

"True," Ziva replied, heading towards the game, that although didn't really require much skill, was quickly becoming a favorite.

* * *

9-9-18


	35. Sunday, Feb 22 (J34)

They remained at the amusement park till closing Saturday night, dragging themselves back to the car, both too tired to drive, before Tim agreed to take the wheel and get them back to the hotel in one piece. After entering their room, the two did the minimal of their nightly bedtime routine before falling exhaustingly onto the beds and asleep.

It was after 0800 by the time they had both awaken.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Ziva asked, enjoying the relaxing moment.

Tim shrugged, "Nothing is scheduled except our return flight. I already checked us in online and we do not have any luggage to check in, but we should still probably be at the airport early, I'm thinking around 1800."

Ziva nodded, "And before that?"

"Whatever you want to do," he informed her. "There are some museums in the area, as well as gardens, parks, walking or hiking trails,"

"Ugh! I don't think I can walk or hike any more today, not after yesterday," Ziva moaned, collapsing back into her bed.

Tim smiled, "Does that mean you don't want to go for a run?"

Ziva just threw a pillow at him, not responding verbally.

"There are also some great restaurants."

Ziva nodded as she thought about their options, 'What time is checkout?"

"1000," Tim answered, "Why?"

"I had hoped we would have time for a swim, but if we do that, we will probably not have time to shower afterwards."

"Maybe they will allow late check out?"

Ziva sat up eagerly, "Do you think so?"

Tim smiled, "Let me go down and check," he said, as he grabbed a pair of jeans and headed to the bathroom to change.

"You could just call down," she observed.

"Sometimes, they respond better to these requests in person," he called from the other room before vacating it, grabbing a key, and exiting their room.

She just shook her head after him, if she was lucky, maybe the hotel receptionist couldn't resist his green eyes. Making a decision, she grabbed her swimsuit and headed to the bathroom to change. Even if their checkout couldn't be changed, she could at least enjoy a few minutes in the hot tub. To her aching muscles, that sounded great.

After exiting the bathroom she quickly organized her belongings, things would be rushed after she returned if they had to checkout by 1000, best to be prepared.

"Ziva, great news," Tim said as he entered the room, stopping short when he noticed her already dressed for the pool.

"What?" she asked when he didn't continue speaking.

"Er, they agreed to delay our check-out time," he shared. "Wow, you must have a lot of faith in me if you changed into your swimsuit."

Ziva just smiled. "I am glad you were able to delay it. What time do we need to be out by?"

"1400," Tim answered with a smile, shocking Ziva at the length of the extension.

"Well," she said when she overcame her shock, "Do not just stand there, go change. The pool, and more importantly, the hot tub, is waiting."

Tim laughed and began unbuttoning his shirt as he walked to retrieve his swimsuit from his suitcase. Ziva took one look at Tim with his shirt off and fell silent, jaw dropping to the floor.

"What?" Tim asked self-consciously, "Surely I don't look that bad."

"I…you are red."

"Well, if you wouldn't stare at me, I wouldn't blush so much," he muttered.

"It is not my staring that is the cause," she informed him, "Rather I think it was the sun from yesterday.

"I…" Tim hesitated as he looked in the mirror. "Oh man, that's gonna peel," he muttered as he ran his finger over his nose, before looking at his forearms and the back of his neck and legs.

"Does it hurt?"

Tim shrugged, "Not really, of course, I haven't really tried to do anything yet."

"Are you sure that you are up for sightseeing?"

"Of course, I just have to make sure I stay hydrated."

Ziva snorted, "If you were Tony, I would suspect you of saying that to ensure that you stay by a bar all day."

"Wrong kind of hydration," he commented dryly. "Anyway, let me finish getting ready and we can head to the pool, there's nothing we can do about my sunburn right now anyway."

* * *

After enjoying the pool and hot tub, both of which they had to themselves, they returned to their room to shower, change, and pack. Although their swimsuits were still wet, Tim was able to find some plastic bags they could use to lay them out on the floor of the car, before packing them back in their travel bags.

Since they were both hungry at this point, they went to the hotel restaurant after checking out, where they enjoyed a leisurely, though late, brunch, Ziva making sure Tim had plenty of juice or water in addition to his coffee.

At their first stop, Ziva headed straight to the gift shop, earning a laugh from Tim who commented that usually that is where the trip ends, not begins. She picked up a hat and placed it on Tim's head, to help keep the sun off his face, she informed her surprised partner. She then headed towards the sunscreen. He had refused to allow her to buy any, stating that it would be a waste since not only was he already burnt, but that they wouldn't be able to take it home on the plane with them, she did, however sneak a small bottle of aloe in with her purchase, hoping it would help moisturize his skin, keeping his discomfort to a minimum.

The rest of the day went by quickly, as they decided to take in some local sights, since neither had visited this area before. Even though Ziva protested walking when they were in the room, the two decided to head to some of the gardens and parks so that they would at least be outside in the warm sun.

Although the sights were incredible, what stayed in Tim's memory was Ziva's reaction to them, and her words as she talked about her favorite places first Israel and then around the world.

Tim was still surprised, that even without mentioning work, conversation between the two flowed easily. It seemed that they had talked about everything. Tim was very surprised to find himself talking about potential scenes and plotlines for his book, while they ate and early dinner, something he didn't think he would ever discuss with one of his teammates.

Tim now had no doubts about 'time flying when you're having fun'. Before he knew it, the two were back home.

"Geesh," Tim shivered as the cold DC Air whipped through him. "Maybe this weekend wasn't such a good idea," Tim muttered as they approached Ziva's car in the airport parking lot.

"What? Why not? I thought you had fun?" His companion asked, hurt by his words and trying not to show her anger.

"I did," he agreed, hurrying to explain, "It's just that, DC feels even colder now, after all that sun."

"That is probably due to your sunburn," Ziva commented with a laugh.

"Just call me Larry the lobster," he grinned. "Thanks for the aloe," he added softly.

"It was no problem. After all, it is my fault you got burnt, I was the one who suggested we go away somewhere warm," she added at Tim's inquisitive look.

"And I'm the idiot who forgot the sunscreen," he retorted. "I'm Irish, I know that I'm not going to tan, just turn red. I really should've thought of it. I am really glad that it doesn't hurt that much. Mostly, it's just embarrassing. I would've hated to ruin our weekend by being in pain and unable to move."

"I, too, am grateful that you are not in pain, and not because of the effect it would have had on my weekend," she stated sincerely before a new thought came to her that had her smiling at him, "It is not often that you are referred to as an idiot, is it?"

"If I'm still red like this tomorrow, you know Tony will."

" _You_ went away someplace sunny and warm for the weekend. So sunny in fact, that you got sun burnt, who is really the idiot?"

"Well, when you put it like that," he grinned, "And I'm grateful for the suggestion and for sharing about wanting to go to an 'amusement place'. I had a lot of fun."

"I too, had a very good time," she said.

They quickly discussed plans for the week, agreeing to carpool into work together and alternating who did the driving. They also agreed to forego tomorrow's run since it was late and because they wanted to be in early to make sure that their reports were completed by the 0700 deadline. As long as their schedule permitted, they both wanted to have dinner together on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night, leaving it until that day to decide whether they would cook or grab take out on the way home. Neither one had any ideas on what to do for the upcoming weekend, but weren't worried since that was five days away.

When they reached Tim's apartment, Ziva pulled over and placed the car in park so he could retrieve his laptop and bag. Tim remained still, not moving to leave and not saying anything.

"Tim? Is everything all right? Is it your sunburn? Do you need help? Perhaps I should walk Jethro for you before I leave?" Ziva fired off one question after another, barely allowing Tim time to process it before another was asked. "Tim?" she repeated, reaching out to touch his arm.

"What? No? I'm fine," he replied and he was. He couldn't remember when he had enjoyed a weekend so much. It wasn't because he didn't have to work, nor was it because of the sunshine, or the amusement park. No. He knew that the real reason why he enjoyed it so much was due to the brunette sitting next to him.

"Then what is going on?"

"Just thinking too much" Tim replied.

Ziva smirked at him, "That my friend, is something I am well aware of," she joked. "The question is, what are you thinking about?"

Tim just shrugged as he opened his door and exited the car, neglecting to then close it. He retrieved his bags from the back, and closed that door after placing them on the curb. He then sat back down in the passenger seat and turned to Ziva.

Her brow furrowed at the confusion his actions had caused. "Wh-"

Acting swiftly, Tim leaned over and kissed her, effectively stopping her question. The kiss only lasted a few moments and when it was done, Tim quietly muttered something about, "For when Tony asks if I kissed her goodnight," and quickly disappeared into the building.

* * *

9-12-18


	36. Monday Feb 23, (J36)

Tim entered his apartment and leaned back against the door after closing and locking it. He couldn't believe he did that. In some ways, it really wasn't surprising. After all, he had been thinking about it since their first-and last-kiss, ten days ago.

Now he just had to worry about what she would say or do tomorrow. He wondered if he should apologize as soon as he saw her, that might help her forgive him. Of course, if she had already written it off, reminding her could be dangerous for him.

He snorted, right now he was just grateful that he was able to escape before she realized what he had done.

Tim groaned and softly banged his head against the door. She knew what he had done. She had kissed him back. What did that mean? Did she want him to kiss her? Did she want to kiss him? Or perhaps she had just reacted instinctively?

But what if she hadn't? Tim thought for a moment. Perhaps he was not the only one who was afraid of confusing reality and make-believe?

With another groan, Tim pushed himself away from the door. He doubted he would be able to sleep right now, so he might as well get some laundry done and repack his go bag that doubled as his weekend travel bag.

Tim groaned and absently nudged Jethro away from him. Morning, already? He didn't even remember going to bed. Opening his eyes, and taking stalk of the situation he realized why, he hadn't. Apparently he had falling asleep on his couch, his laundry, though clean, strewn around him. Even the few items he managed to fold had been knocked over. With a sigh, he gathered those falling pieces up and placed them in the laundry basket. Looks like he had his evening plans figured out. Catching another look at the time, he quickly fed Jethro before heading towards the shower. Replenishing his go bag would have to wait; he needed to get himself cleaned and dressed and walk Jethro before anything else. Ziva would soon be here to pick him up, and if by chance she was upset with him regarding last night, he didn't want to make the situation worse by being late, making _her_ late for work as well.

* * *

"What happened to you?" Tony asked, coming to a standstill as soon as he caught sight of McGee.

"I fell into a vat of red paint," he replied, not looking up since he knew he wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.

"No, seriously."

"I listened to you."

"I…yeah, I can't think of anything I said to you that could possibly result in…" he paused as he took the sight of his very red coworker and waved his arms in wide sweeping gestures directed towards the younger agent, "that."

"If you must know, I went away for the weekend and forgot sunscreen," he admitted.

"Only you," Tony snorted, "But how is that because of me?"

"You mentioned going away the weekend before and after Valentine's Day since we were on call that weekend, we decided it wasn't a bad idea, and well, here we are."

"Well, I took my advice as well," Tony informed them, "Yet, I am still in perfect health," he said as he took out his phone and snapped a few pictures of his coworker. "Any one else see you yet?"

Tim shook his head, "Only you and Ziva. Haven't seen Gibbs this morning yet. I placed a call to Ducky asking him to let me know when he's in so I could head down to see him."

"Great weekend if you leave both sun burnt _and_ sick," he joked.

Tim shook his head, "I'm not sick, I just want to make sure I'm treating this right. By the time we got back last night, it was too late to stop by a pharmacy to ask."

"We?" he repeated, "As in not just you, we?"

"Wouldn't be much of a Valentine celebration weekend if I went by myself, now would it?"

"Oh ho, so the potential girlfriend went away with you for the weekend, or is it the girlfriend now?"

Tim shrugged, "We actually didn't talk about that," and they didn't, Tim had realized late last night. By unspoken agreement, neither one had mentioned 'the plan'. Something he knew couldn't last. He that conversation was on the horizon he just needed to figure out what he wanted to do.

"Probie!" Tony scolded in a disappointed tone. "Well, maybe I can help you figure it out. Was it one room or two?"

"One, with two beds," Tim automatically pointed out before he could stop himself.

Tony's eyes narrowed, "You make that call or did she?"

"I…her," he admitted, "I booked the flight, but she chose the hotel and room. Uh, she actually suggested the weekend away. You know, as a way to get to know each other better, you know, away from our regular routine."

"Well, Probie, sounds like she really might be into you."

Tim blushed at those words, refusing to look at Tony.

" _Did_ you get to know one another better? Was she right?"

"They usually are, DiNozzo, they usually are," Gibbs answered as he made his way to his desk, smirking at Tony. "If you haven't figured that out by now, there's no hope for you."

"Right, boss," Tony replied, "Was that your problem?" he inquired, receiving a glare as an answer. "Shutting up now, boss," he said much to the amusement of Tim and Ziva.

A half hour later, Gibbs' phone rang and they were on their way to the crime scene.

* * *

"Have a good weekend?"

Currently, it was just Gibbs and Ziva in the bullpen. Gibbs had paired himself and Ziva together, hoping she would let something slip regarding her weekend. She had not. It was now up to him to ask the questions if he wanted to know the answers.

"Yes, actually," Ziva replied, not willing to share any information about her trip.

"The weekend away seemed to have done you both some good. McGee seems to be in a better mood," Gibbs commented. "Happy…and red."

"It was a good weekend for both of us," Ziva stated. "Even with the sunburn. Relaxing."

"Any decisions made?" Gibbs asked, trying to sound casual, as if he wasn't really interested in the answer.

"I do not know. We did not discuss it."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow as he wondered what they did discuss. As if reading his mind, Ziva added, "As I said, it was fun and relaxing. We spent it enjoying the sun, the warmer temperatures, and each other's company. Getting to know one another better."

"Well, as I said, he seems happier."

"We will see how long that last with him stuck with Tony again."

Gibbs winced at her words, maybe sending Tim and Tony together to talk to the neighbors wasn't the best option, but both had arrived together at the crime scene in one piece. Neither of them upset or aggravated. Surely they keep could that professionalism going.

* * *

Tim was very surprised that during the ride out to the crime scene and while processing the scene, that Tony hadn't made one comment about his sunburn or his weekend. Unfortunately, he knew that it was too good to last. He could only hope that Tony was too focused on the case to bring it up.

"I can't believe you forgot sunscreen, McLobster"

And so it begins, Tim realized with a sigh.

"Hey, it happens," Tim defended with a shrug, if that was all Tony had to say, he could deal with it.

"Yeah, but then you didn't buy any either," Tony added, shaking his head in shame.

"We wouldn't have been able to bring it back with us, so why bother?"

Tony just looked at Tim sadly, continuing to shake his head.

"What?" An exasperated Tim asked. "I'm the one that got sunburned; it has no effect on you. So why are you making this into such a big deal, Tony?"

"Because, Probie, you missed out on a prime opportunity."

"What's that?" a puzzled McGee asked with a frown, thinking of what exactly he missed.

"Having her put the sunscreen on you…and you returning the favor," he smirked.

"I usually use a spray can," Tim admitted dryly. "Besides, by the time we realized it, I was already red. It wouldn't have helped."

"Even sadder," he responded, shaking his head once more, "It's like you never even had hope she would do that for you, or you for her."

"Can we just drop this?" he pleaded.

"Why? It's not like we can work right now while in the car."

"I can start some of the searches going on my phone," Tim offered.

"Nope, I need you to talk to me to keep me awake, you're not the only one who had a full weekend," Tony explained with a grin.

"Well then we can discuss the case," Tim suggested.

"The wife did it," Tony announced, "Done discussing the case. So, where did you two lovebirds go?"

Tim sat silently for a moment, before giving in. "Er, Florida, Tallahasse area," he added when Tony looked at him for more details.

Tony frowned, "Not where I think of when picturing Florida beaches."

"Um, we didn't go to the beach."

Tony snorted, "You went away for the weekend in February, away from this coldness, but didn't head to the beach? What was there? Perhpas a comic book convention going on?"

"No."

"Then what did you do in sunny Tallahassee?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"Er, Sunday we went out for brunch then visited some local gardens."

Tony looked at Tim briefly before refocusing on the road, "You seem to have missed half the weekend," he observed mockingly. "And Saturday?"

Tim fidgeted, not wanting to respond.

"Oh, god, don't tell me I was right and there was convention of some sort going on. What was it, a science fiction convention? A gaming convention? A writer's convention? Probie," Tony began seriously, "Are you a Trekkie?"

Not being able to lie, and not wanting to know what else Tony could come up with, Tim reluctantly admitted, "We went to an amusement park."

Tony jerked his head to look at his passenger, accidentally jerking the wheel as well.

"Tony! Eyes on the road," he shouted.

"Oh, probie, that's even sadder than the bit with the sunscreen."

"What? Why?"

"An amusement park or carnival is something a 14 year old does on a date. And you _went away_ to do that. Most people choose a secluded cabin in the woods complete with fireplace or a beach house with bikini's being optional as a romantic getaway, hell, even Vegas, with alcohol flowing is a better choice, but oh, no, McGeek chooses an amusement park."

"I…she requested it."

"Sure she did," rolled eyes accompanied that response.

"Seriously, Tony, think about it for a minute. Do you really think that I would pick an amusement park? I get motion sickness looking at a boat."

Tony snorted, "Oh, god, no wonder why you didn't discuss official girlfriend status. She probably spent the entire weekend pretending she didn't know you."

"What? No! She wouldn't do that," Tim protested.

"She might, once she realizes how pathetic you are," Tony retorted.

"Thanks a lot, Tony," Tim snapped, as he grabbed his phone and started those searches he mentioned earlier, ignoring Tony. Even if Tony was speaking the truth about needing conversation to keep him awake, right now, Tim much preferred an accident than exchanging one more word with his teammate and continuing this conversation.

The moment the Tony parked the car, Tim grabbed his bags and exited it, quickly walking towards the entrance of the building. Even though the elevator arrived quickly, Tim did not feel right shutting Tony out since the older man had just appeared in the lobby. Holding the door for him, Tim waited for him to enter before he angrily pushed the button for their floor.

"Are you at least going to tell me what you found?" Tony asked, breaking the silence that hung over the two agents.

"I sent a copy to your email," Tim responded.

Tony rolled his eyes, "You can't just tell me?"

"No time," Tim replied as the doors opened and he stepped off, Tony right behind him.

Ziva looked up as the elevator chimed. She watched as her two coworkers exited and headed to their respective desks, the silence and tension between them obvious. "What happened?" she asked, hoping one of them would tell her.

"Tony believes the wife did it," Tim commented dryly. "I e-mailed you what we learned and what I have verified and uncovered so far."

Ziva nodded, as she opened the email. She had seen the notification for those emails, but hadn't had a chance to review them yet. "Wow. You did all this on the ride back?"

Tim shrugged, "I found it the best use of my time," he replied. "I'm getting a coffee, you need anything, Ziva?"

"Yes, please, a tea would be great."

Tim nodded and left. Once he cleared he corner, Ziva pounced on Tony, "What did you do?"

"Who me? Nothing." Tony shrugged, "I don't know what happened. One minute we were talking, the next he took out his phone and notebook and started working, only responding to me if it was about the case, everything else I said or did was ignored."

"He would not ignore you without a reason. Something happened," Ziva returned with a frown. "What were you talking about?"

Tony smirked, "His weekend."

"Why is that so funny? He went away for the weekend."

Tony snorted, "Yeah, to an amusement park."

"So?" came the puzzled question.

"Only 14 year olds take a date to an amusement park or carnival."

"I highly doubt 14 year olds share a room for the weekend," Ziva pointed out.

"One room, two beds."

"Still, if I went away with someone I was dating, I would want my own room unless it was with someone I truly and completely trusted, and there are not many I can say that about."

"I guess," Tony reluctantly admitted, understanding the point of view from a girl, and remembering how Ziva wasn't open to sharing a room with him a few weeks ago. "Still, most guys would push for a more romantic getaway,"

"I did not think guys were all that romantic," Ziva mentioned, "Is that not something most woman complain about?"

Tony shrugged, "Okay, maybe romantic wasn't the right word, but you know, someplace that would be conducive to alone time,"

"Sex," Ziva interrupted. "You mean someplace that they are more likely to…" she paused as she thought about the word Tony had used in the past, "score, as you say."

"I…yeah," he admitted. "I mean, Probie didn't even think about sunscreen!"

Ziva's mouth opened and closed, unsure how to respond to that, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Half the appeal of being out in the sun is lathering sunscreen on each other. It gives you an excuse to touch one another."

Ziva just shook her head at the juvenile thoughts of her teammate.

"See! You agree, he dropped the ball on that one."

"What sports were involved?" a frowning, bewildered Ziva asked.

Tony shook his head, "I just meant he should have chosen somewhere else, anyplace would've been better."

"Maybe he did not choose it," Ziva pointed out, trying to defend her friend.

Tony snickered, before a larger, louder laugh escaped.

"What?"

"That's what he said."

"Well, I sincerely doubt that he lied to you."

"Oh, I know that he didn't," Tony admitted.

"Then what is so funny and why did you give him such a hard time about it?"

"Because he's McGoo. Plus," Tony laughed again, "He went to an amusement park to please her."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"From her point of view, sure," he retorted. "Of course, Tim trying so hard to please is often what gets him into trouble. It makes the girls he dates realize what a wimp and pushover he is as far as they are concerned."

"Tony!"

"Seriously, Ziva," Tony held up a hand in truce, "He agreed to go to an amusement park with her. McGee, you know, the guy who gets motion sick just looking at a boat," he explained, laughing again. "He was probably green and sick the entire time. What a weekend that must've been," he continued, still laughing, not seeing the look of horror that came over Ziva's face.

"You okay, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, he had watched and listened to his team's conversation since Tim and Tony returned, deciding not interfere unless it became necessary.

"Yes, fine," Ziva commented, quickly regaining control of herself. After all, she and McGee told Gibbs that this would not interfere with work.

"Good," he nodded at her before turning to his senior agent. If he was closer, a headslap would accompany the look of disbelief on his face, "The wife, DiNozzo? Seriously?"

Tony shrugged, "In the movies, it's always the wife or the butler?" her offered calmly.

"No butler and the _ex_ -wife's been dead for two years," Gibbs pointed out, "Now get me something I can use," he ordered.

"Yes, boss," Tony agreed, heading to his computer to see what McWorkaholic found.

* * *

"Ziva?" Gibbs called, causing her to tear her gaze away from Tim.

"Tim e-mailed me some things he worked on earlier, I was able to hogback onto them," she replied, keeping her eyes on the SSA, determined not to let them drift over to McGee, who had been quiet since he returned to the bullpen over an hour ago with his coffee and her tea.

Tony snorted, "Piggyback," he corrected.

"Hog, pig, same animal, right? Anyway, T-McGee's been helping me track down the brother; we think he might be the stranger the neighbor mentioned."

Tony shook his head, "The brother is a stranger to his brother's neighbors. No one connects to the people in their neighborhood anymore," he muttered softly. "Thanks, boss," he replied after receiving the latest headslap.

"McGee,"

"The neighbor's alibi checks out. No disagreement that anyone knows of with either coworkers or neighbors."

"And the brother?"

"Hudson Kline, 47 years old, never in the service, no record, works as a teacher, divorced six months ago. Hopefully a search will turn up somethin-"

'Beep' At the sound, Tim turned to his computer, aware that everyone in the bullpen had their eyes fixed on him. "Got a hit," he said, quickly writing down an address and giving it to Gibbs. Tony automatically stood ready to reach for his gear to follow up on what McGee found.

Gibbs looked at the paper in his hands, then at his team. The boys had done a good job talking to the witnesses and neighbors at the crime scene. Tim had done even better by narrowing down likely candidates and their addresses. The question now was what task to assign to each agent.

The damage that could accrue by sending Tim and Tony out together again, would most likely do more harm to their relationship and the team than the benefits it would provide to the case. It also appears that Ziva wanted to talk to McGee privately. That would leave Tony behind to check facts, something that could be good for the older agent since he was offering deceased or non-existent people as suspects. With a smirk, Gibbs put down his coffee cup and gave them their tasks, much to everyone's surprise.

"But boss,"

"Ziva, McGee, go," he commanded confirming his orders before turning to the protesting Tony. The two younger agents grabbed their bags and left via the stairwell before the decision could be rescinded.

"You got a problem with your assignment?" He asked Tony.

"Well, no, but wouldn't Probie do it faster?"

"Most likely," Gibbs agreed.

"Then why?"

Gibbs just looked at him. When Tony began to sit back down, figuring no answer was forthcoming, he finally responded, "Because you can't rely on McGee to always be available to do it. You will never be able to do it faster or better unless you get the opportunity to practice," he said as he headed back to his desk. "There is also the fact that McGee already did most of that work while in the car. He's also the one who came up with possible suspects and their addresses. He should have the opportunity to see it through. After all, he's a field agent, not our tech geek."

Tony frowned, "Can't he be both?"

"DiNozzo," Gibbs warned.

"Yes, boss," Tony said as he set to work, his mind worrying over parts of that conversation.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" Tim asked after the two settled into the sedan they checked out. Tim had handed her the keys, stating that he would navigate. "You've been…" Tim paused as he tried to figure out what to say. 'Acting weird' would not go over too well with Ziva, and considering he didn't want to do anything to make her more upset with him, definitely not an option. He hadn't thought she had been mad at him, even though the drive in together had been quieter than normal, but with all the looks she had given him, all the times her eyes had been on him while they were in the bullpen, he couldn't think of what else could be wrong. "Quiet" he finally concluded. When he didn't get a response, he dug out his phone, trying to see if anything regarding Kline came up.

"Tim?" She said softly, breaking the silence in the car.

"Yeah, Ziva?" He replied, shutting down his phone to give her his full attention.

"Why did you not remind me about your motion sickness when I first suggested we go to an amusement park for the weekend?"

"Ziva, I was fine," he tried to reassure her.

"How can you say that?"

"Because I was fine," he repeated with a grin.

"But-"

"Ziva." Tim interrupted, waiting for her to be quiet and allow him to speak. "Do you think I would've spun those tea cups so much if I was feeling ill?"

"Bu-"

"Or ridden that crazy coaster three times in a row?"

"Per-"

"Honestly, Zee," he interrupted, continuing when she tried to speak again. "Let's think about this for a moment. Did I look sick at all on Saturday?"

"Well, no," she admitted.

"Uncomfortable on any of the rides?"

"No."

"Spend a lot of time away from you or in the restroom?'

Ziva frowned, realizing that there really wasn't any time they were separated for more than ten minutes, and most of that was due to the lines in the ladies room. "No."

"See, I was fine." he smiled at her.

"But Tony-"

"Ah," Tim exclaimed, realizing what had her so focused on this topic. "I didn't _lie_ to Tony," he sheepishly admitted, "I just mentioned my motion sickness as a reason why it was unlikely that I would choose an amusement park as a weekend getaway. Er, not that there was anything wrong with the choice" he rushed to add, hoping she wouldn't be offended by his words. "I had a great time, sunburn and all," he added. "I was just sick of Tony picking apart everything I did or that happened over the weekend. The fact that he didn't believe that 'the geek' didn't choose the amusement park was the last straw for me. I said what I did to shut it him."

"I understand that feeling," Ziva nodded in agreement. "So your motion sickness does not effect you on those rides?"

Tim shrugged, "Not really. I did take something in the morning before we headed out just to be sure, but for the most part, the rides are over so quickly that I don't have time o register any discomfort."

"That is good to hear," Ziva smiled at him. "I am glad that you did not suffer from my decision. That was the last thing I intended."

"I know, Zee, and I promise I was fine."

* * *

"McGee, where are you going?" an exasperated Ziva asked him. The two had struck out with finding Kline at his last known location, though they had been able to talk to some witnesses who had plenty to say. Since Tim no longer needed to navigate, he took over driving duty.

"Just stopping by my apartment for a minute."

"I can see that," she replied as he took that exit off the highway, "Why?"

"Because I don't have my car with me," he replied.

"You want to pick up your car?" she asked in confusion, wondering why he no longer wished to ride with her.

"No, I want to pick up my go bag," he corrected.

"Why?"

"Because I have a feeling this case is going to take us out of town and I want to be prepared."

Ziva nodded in understanding, "You should keep an extra go bag at your desk like I do," she advised.

"Yeah, that won't be happening," he muttered.

She frowned, "Why not? It is a good idea, especially since we often car pool."

"I tried that once," Tim admitted. "Tony happened."

"What did he do?"

"A better question would be what _didn't_ he do," Tim snorted. "Added dye to my shampoo, flavoring to my toothpaste, switched some of my clothes out for other garments," Tim stated with a shake of my head. "I learned not to keep things around where Tony could find them, especially if there was a chance I might need them."

"He's never done anything like that to my bag," she frowned.

"You can kill him 18 different ways with a paperclip," he reminded her. "And he knows it."

"Perhaps I should teach you a trick or two," she suggested.

"Somehow I don't think he'll believe me if I threaten him."

She shrugged, at a loss of what to say.

"I'll be right back," he said, pulling into a space.

"I'll come up with you, haven't seen Jethro all weekend," she explained.

Once inside, Tim immediately went to work gathering clothes and toiletries for their potential trip.

"Don't you have a bag ready?" she asked, petting Jethro.

"Murphy's law," he stated, grinning at her before clarifying, "I used most of it for our weekend away and didn't get a chance to repack it. I figured we wouldn't need it so soon," he explained.

Looking around his apartment, she sighed as she realized that once more, he had left laundry out. Walking over to it, she began folding out, before realizing that some of it was the clothes he had worn on their trip. Cautiously she sniffed at it. Hmm, it appeared freshly laundered, but how was he able to accomplish that so quickly, after all, they had just returned the previous evening. With a shrug she decided it wasn't any of her business if he stayed up late at the building laundry facilities and continued her task.

Once completed, she asked, "Hey, does Jethro need food?"

"He should be good, I'll ask the neighbors to check in on him tonight if we end up going out of town. You can give him a treat though, if you want," he called back.

She walked over to Jethro's cupboard, the dog immediately at her side once more. "Want me to take him out?" she offered.

"Sure, who knows how late we'll be, even if we don't go."

Ziva nodded, even though he couldn't see her and grabbed Jethro's leash and exited the apartment after making sure she had his spare key. After stopping by the agency car, she continued on with his walk before returning inside.

"You know," she said, "If you want to pack a second go bag you can always leave it in my car in case this happens again. We probably should have thought of that when your car was out of commission."

"Thanks, Z," he responded with a grin as he exited his bedroom and headed towards the door, petting Jethro on his way out. "I think I just might do that, no way would Tony mess with something in your car."

Ziva grinned at his words before following back to the car.

* * *

9-19-18


	37. Monday Feb 23, A night to remember (J37)

"I told you," Tim whispered to Ziva as he saw Gibbs approach, two key envelopes in hand.

"I did not argue against you," Ziva returned, Tony eyeing them suspiciously.

After the two returned to the bullpen, Tim with his go bag in hand, Tony had started to tease him about heading to another amusement park. Tim tried to explain that he suspected they would have to go out of town to solve this case, but that just got more teasing from Tony about his 'gut'.

It took most of the afternoon for the team to determine where Kline was heading, but once they knew they were on the right track, they wasted no time hitting the road.

Gibbs drove, with Tony riding shotgun. Ziva and Tim were in the back seat, softly talking to each other while Tim remotely ran searches from his phone, hoping for a hit on Kline's credit card.

They ended up in a remote Virginia town, birthplace to their victim and his brother.

Upon arrival, they went to the local hotel where the credit card had been most recently used. Unfortunately, there was no sign of their POI, car not in parking lot, room empty, except for luggage.

"Two rooms, again," Gibbs informed the team, handing out the keys. "Same set up as last time, if that is okay?"

All three nodded, though one had a slight grimace, yet refrained from commenting.

"We'll take turns watching the room in case Kline returns. Do not approach, unless it looks like he's running, then call for back up first,

"McGee, you're with me. Tony, Ziva, put your gear away, then return here so we can do the same. Ziva and McGee will have first watch, we'll relieve you at 0230," Gibbs directed. "Go."

Tim tensed as he waited for Gibbs to say something. After a few minutes, when it seemed Gibbs had nothing to say, Tim began to relax.

"Tony giving you a hard time?"

The question startled Tim, who had begun to hope that the 10 minutes would pass in silence.

"Er, no more than usual," Tim replied awkwardly.

Gibbs nodded as if he anticipated that answer, "let me know if that changes."

"Right," came the automatic response. Tim couldn't imagine telling Gibbs that he couldn't handle something or needed help, especially if it involved Tony.

Another nod before silence once more fell between the two agents as they waited for their partners to replace them.

Five minutes later Gibbs and Tim parted ways to enter into their separate rooms.

"McGee," Gibbs called as Tim opened his hotel room door.

"Yeah?"

The older man inclined his head to where Tony and Ziva kept watch, "Don't mess this up," he cautioned before disappearing into his room, the click of the door closing echoing on the empty floor.

* * *

"I do not know if it is better or worse to have the first shift," Ziva commented, breaking the silence between the two.

Tim shrugged, his mind occupied with trying to decipher Gibbs warning. "Doesn't matter to me, both have good and bad points. I'm just glad I don't have a shift with Tony."

Ziva frowned, "You think he would try something?"

"I think it's pretty much a guarantee," Tim replied dryly. "He always _tries_ something, though sometimes it is just my patience."

Ziva smiled, "He is a good investigator," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but often a lousy partner," Tim returned. "Even before I joined the team he used every opportunity available to mock me."

"And after you joined the team?"

"The same...and if the opportunity didn't arise, he created it."

"Was there never anything good there?"

"There was," Tim admitted. "It could be possible that I see the bad more than the good, but-"

"It could also be possible that there was more bad than good," Ziva finished, when her companions went silent. Her words causedTim to shrug.

"In my mind, the bad is normal, you know, day to Day, regular interaction. The good seems to happen in extreme times."

Ziva nodded in understanding, after all, for the past few years, she had been there to witness the day to Day, regular stuff. While not all of it was terrible, it couldn't really be considered good either.

The two fell into companionable silence once more, one set of eyes focused on Kline's room, the other scrutinizing the area for any activity.

"Pretty calm and quiet out here," Tim replied.

Ziva shrugged, "I believe Tony called it Hicksville, especially with the lack of highways and main roads."

Tim smiled, "Great opportunity for star gazing."

Ziva looked up at the sky in surprise. "Wow."

"Do you know any constellations?"

"Just the ones everyone seems to know," she stated.

"Like?" He prodded.

Ziva searched the sky for something familiar before pointing at it and sharing her knowledge with him.

Tim walked closer to her, "And that one?" He asked.

"Too easy," she returned, not only telling him the constellation, but also sharing a bit of her past and telling him about when she and her sister first learned about those stars.

"If we see any falling stars, what would you wish for?" Tim suddenly asked.

"I do not know," Ziva replied honestly, slowly as she thought about his question. Right now her life was great, almost idyllic. A job she loved, coworkers she liked, good friends to spend time with, she thought. It seemed like she had everything she needed. "I cannot think of anything I need that I do not already have," she admitted.

"Nothing?" Tim asked incredulously.

She shrugged, "I would not refuse if someone offered me a European vacation, a new car, or a house," she admitted with a grin, "But all of those are just material things. I do not need them to be happy."

"Hmm," Tim hummed in lieu of sharing his thoughts.

"And you?"

"Wouldn't say no to any of those either," he stated, not answering the question.

"Tim."

Tim met her gaze for a moment before looking away. "Love," he finally said, uncomfortable at the silence his answer had wrought. "Probably a waste of a wish right, I'm sure that's what Tony would say," he said when Ziva just continued to stare at him.

"I do not think so," Ziva stated, hoping he heard the sincerity in her voice and her words. "That is something I wish I had as well," she admitted, "I just am not sure I deserve it, given my past, or that I could handle it."

Tim's eyes flew to her face. "Everyone deserves love. To love and be loved," he clarified. "I am sure you will find it. What I am not sure of is if the one you love deserves you," he finished softly.

"Thank you," she said, squeezing his hand. "You know I think the same about you, right?"

Tim blushed, but didn't speak. Ziva smiled softly, "What is that constellation?" She asked, pointing towards the sky.

Tim smiled as he answered her. Continuing their astronomy session by pointing out some of the lesser known stars, making sure to keep the hotel room door in their view.

A majority of their night was passed with them either talking softly, mostly about inconsequential things or in companionable silence.

"Timothy," Ziva said suddenly, breaking one of those silences, "Have you given any thought about the plan?"

"I...not really," he admitted.

"Are you ready to talk about it now?" She hesitantly asked.

His eyes widened as he turned to face her. "Oh, god, Ziva, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you hanging like this. Here you are putting your life on hold to help me and then I ask you to put _that_ on hold while I try to figure things out. I'm so sorry," he repeated, upset at his actions. "You probably want to end this," he added softly. "No doubt you are sick of me after last weekend and spending so much time together this past month. I understand, no hard feelings," he rushed to reassure her. "Of course we can end this, but I hope we sti-"

"Tim, Tim," she repeated, trying to focus his attention on her. "I did not mean anything bad by my question, I promise." She stated reassuringly.

"I am not pushing you into making a decision. I have no reason to want to stop this, nor do I mind if you need more time to think about things, I just wondered if it might be better to talk it out." She smiled at him, "after all, do they not say that two heads are better than one?"

Tim smiled back, "They do," he confirmed.

Ziva nodded, "Then talk to me. What are you thinking?"

"That it is a lot to put on you," he replied honestly. "This can effect not only your personal life, but your professional one as well. I...Gibbs seems worried," he finished, remembering the warning to not mess 'this' up. The only thing he could think Gibbs means is the team.

"Do not worry about me. I can take care of myself," she informed him. "What do _you_ need and want?"

Tim closed his eyes at the images her question invoked in him. What he really wanted was to kiss her again, however, he knew that wasn't a good idea. If she didn't kill him, Gibbs would, since they were technically working and suppose to be on a stakeout.

"Tim, honesty, remember?" She reminded him. "There is no reason to hide or pretend with me. We are friends, I will not get upset at anything you say." At his look of doubt, she clarified, "I might not understand or agree with it, but I will not take it out on you. No paper clips here," she teased.

Tim took a deep breath. "I don't want to stop the plan," he admitted. "There might be many reasons why we should, but I have many more why I do not," he admitted. When she looked at him curiously, he shook his head and added, "we don't need to go into those right now, maybe someday," he stated wistfully, dreaming of the day he could tell her everything he felt and thought.

Ziva nodded, deciding to let Tim keep his secrets for now, "Okay, then, we will continue to 'date' one another."

"Okay, then," Tim agreed, not sure what else to say.

Ziva looked at him for a moment, "I believe it is my turn to plan our next date."

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to. That is what couples do, is it not, take turn deciding things?"

Tim shrugged, "Don't know," he admitted. "Many of my relationships were one-sided."

"Well this one is not," she informed him. "Now, I shall start thinking of things we can do this weekend, things Tony would approve of," she added with a smirk. "Things he will be positively jade with envy about."

Tim smiled, her error putting him at ease, "Green."

"You want to do something green this weekend?" She frowned, "I suppose I can ask Abby for suggestions,"

"I meant Tony will be green with envy about our plans, not jade."

"But jade is such a rich color of green, does it not work and sound better?"

Tim just shrugged, causing Ziva to sigh in defeat. "As I was saying, I wil start planning our date for this weekend. Now we should seal our deal with a kiss?" She teased.

"I...what?"

"A kiss," she repeated, "isn't that traditionally how one seals a deal? I know you know what a kiss is," she said with a knowing smile.

"Usually deals are sealed with a handshake," he offered.

She shrugged, "sounds boring to me, shall we?" She asked, stepping closer to him and deliberately licking her lips.

"I...Gibbs," he tried to ask.

"I do not want to kiss him, and I am sure he does not want to kiss me. I am not a redhead," she added with a grin.

"What if he finds out?" Tim finally said.

She shrugged, "He knows what we are doing. He has heard Tony's questions in the bullpen as well as your answers. I am sure he would not be surprised in the least."

"But-"

"And think of the havoc we could cause if Tony saw it," she smirked at him.

"Oh, right, Tony," he thought. After all, this was because of Tony.

Ziva pulled back a little at his tone, confused, wondering what went wrong . "Are you-"

"Yes, of course," he interrupted, sure she was once more, going to tease him about kissing her. Then again, he would be an idiot not to follow her direction, especially since he did want to. Of course, knowing that Gibbs or Tony could be watching, and Tim was more concerned about his boss due to their earlier conversation, Tim leaned in and quickly brushed his lips against hers, making sure not to linger too long. "There, deal sealed," he commented once the relatively chaste kiss ended.

Ziva frowned, "But-"

"Movement," Tim interrupted, nodding his head towards Kline's door.

Ziva immediately stopped what she was saying and focused on the figure approaching the door. "Is it him?"

"I think so," Tim replied. "Same coloring and build, can't make out specific features because of the angle and his hood casting a shadow," he added, trying not to cringe at the phrase he used earlier. Make out, he thought with a shake of his head, he must really be preoccupied with kissing her if that's the only term he could think of. Identify, would've been much better, more professional, he realized. At least Tony didn't hear it, even if he did see that kiss.

Ziva looked at her watch. "At least we will have something to report when our shift ends in thirty minutes."

"A half hour?" Tim repeated in alarm. They only had a half hour left? There was a high possibility that Gibbs, Tony, or both could've witnessed that kiss. Gibbs seldom slept, and Tony was rarely late for stakeouts; office work, yes, but stakeouts, especially when sharing a room with the boss, never.

"There are no windows in the room other than the ones right next to the door," Ziva observed.

"I know."

"As long as one of us keeps their eyes opened and focused there,"

"What?" Tim Interrupted, "you want to take a quick nap? Go ahead."

Ziva sighed, "I was actually thinking that we could resume sealing our deal," she corrected.

"What?" Tim spun around to face her in shock. "With Gibbs and Tony bound to make an appearance at any moment? Uh-huh," Tim said, shaking his head in emphasis. "They don't think much of me as it is, I'm not about to be found making out on a stakeout."

"They do not think badly of you," Ziva corrected. "They trust you to have their six after all. And Who said anything about making out? I was just talking about a single kiss," she added, stepping closer to him.

"I...you...we," Tim stuttered in embarrassment, "We did that already."

"Did we?" Ziva replied innocently. "Hmm, I really do not remember it. We should repeat it just in case," she teased, her arms drifting up to his shoulders.

"Ziva," Tim pleaded, as he removed her arms from where they now entwined around his neck.

"Timothy," she returned, meeting his gaze, yet not reinstating physical contact. "It is just a kiss, why so opposed?"

Tim stifled a groan, how could he tell her that he wasn't sure he could stop at one kiss. Not after their perfect kiss last week, or the impulsive one from last night. Even having Ziva standing so close to him was tempting. "Ziva," he repeated, putting more space between them.

"Hey, Probie, Ziva threatening you with paper clips?" Tony said as he approached the couple. "Is that why you are slowly backing away? What did you do?"

"Nothing," Ziva replied, with a pointed look at Tim.

"Someone's in trouble," Tony sang. Tim just ignored him and started to walk over to Gibbs to update him on the case. "Hope you wake up tomorrow," tony teased, causing Tim to momentarily panic as he remembered that he and Ziva were once again sharing a room.

"I'll be fine," he said softly, trying to reassure himself.

"What did McDeadManWalking do?"

Tim walked faster, not wanting to hear Ziva's reply.

Everything okay, McGee?"

"Yeah. Someone entered Kline's room about 10 minutes ago. Lights went off soon after, no other activity," Tim informed the supervisory agent.

Gibbs nodded, "No activity inside the room," he agreed.

Tim refused to look away or comment on gibbs' statement. "Same coloring and build as Kline, couldn't confirm identity due to angle and lighting."

Gibbs nodded, "Good work. Get some rest, we'll approach at 0700."

"Right," Tim nodded.

"Keep your phones on, if he leaves earlier, tony and I will need to intercept him and we'll need back up."

"Right," Tim repeated before turning away and walking towards his room.

"Wait, I'll walk with you," Ziva called softly.

Tim stopped and nodded, as much as he would've liked to pretend he didn't hear her, the gentleman in him couldn't let her walk back alone.

* * *

Wow! This was suppose to be Tuesday, but it got rather long...

Please forgive typos and mistakes, most of this was typed/edited on my phone...

9-22-18


	38. Tuesday, February 24 (J38)

"You okay?" She asked once the hotel room door shut behind them.

"I'm fine." Tim replied. He really wanted to be alone right now, but knew he couldn't risk leaving the room, not without disturbing the stake out. Plus, he didn't want to hear Tony teasing him tomorrow about Ziva kicking him out. That left the bathroom. He knows that normally, Ziva has first use of the facilities in the evening, but, well a bit of change in routine is good, right?

Ziva frowned, "what happened?" Tim just glared at her and went to grab his clothes and head to the bathroom. Ziva quickly darted between him and the door, preventing his escape. "You cannot be this upset because I was teasing you," she argued. "I did not mean it when I said that I had forgotten that you had already kissed me," she added.

Tim just glared at her, not in the mood to talk. He tried darting around her, but Ziva anticipated his moves and continued to block him.

"Something happened. Tell me."

Still glaring, he said, "Gibbs saw us."

"So?"

"So he commented on it. Who knows what he is thinking about me now."

"Us," Ziva corrected. "I was there as well. If he thinks anything, it will be about both of us. And do not worry," Ziva continued, "If he asks, I will tell him that we were acting like a couple in case Kline noticed us. After all, lovers sneaking off for a romantic walk in the moonlight, is a valid reason to be outside in the middle of the night."

"Good cover story," Tim returned, believing he now knew why Ziva had continued her teasing. "Now can I get into the bathroom?"

Ziva tilted her head as she looked at him, "Perhaps there is a toll to pay?"

"Sorry, I don't have any change on me," he said, deliberately misunderstanding her before lifting her up and moving her aside so he could enter.

Tim leaned against the bathroom door, fighting the urge to bang his head against it. Two days in a row he found himself unable to believe what he had done. Last night it was kissing her, tonight it was physically moving her away from him.

He was so dead, and he was sure the lack of paper clips wouldn't pose a problem to the Israeli.

How was Ziva able to get to him so easily? They weren't even really dating, yet she had him tied up in knots. He couldn't remember being like this with anyone else. Of course, no one else was like she was, he thought wryly. No one else asked him the questions she did, no one else was able to get him to talk like she did, nor push him for honest answers. No one else seemed to care like she did.

No one else could make him forget that this wasn't real. He mentally gave himself a slap. He needed to remember what this was and what this wasn't.

But first he needed to finish up in here and then try to save his life by apologizing.

* * *

Ziva stared at the closed bathroom door in shock. She couldn't believe he had just done that. Part of her wanted break down the bathroom door and take her anger out on him. Another part of her wanted to know why he was so upset. What was Tim so worried about? What exactly did Gibbs say to him? And why did she feel like this was all because Tim did not want to kiss her?

It must be something he felt strongly about if he was willing to risk her wrath by physically moving her, Ziva thought as she clenched her fists and told herself to calm down. She was smart enough to realized that it wasn't really Tim she was mad at, at least, not completely. She was upset, but more because she did not understand his reluctance to kiss her. She knew she had no right to force him to kiss her if he did not want to, but why didn't he want to?

She enjoyed the few kisses they had shared. Her only complaint regarding Tim's kisses was that the one on Sunday night ended too soon and that the one earlier today didn't even get started. She had been wondering what it was about him that made the kisses they shared so much better than any other kisses she remembered. She had decided that the best way to get an answer to that question was to continue kissing him until she figured it out. Yet it seemed Tim did not share her thoughts and feelings regarding their kisses.

With a sigh, she gathered her clothes and toiletries preparing for her turn in the bathroom, still thinking about everything that had happened. So far she had only reached one conclusion: Tim meant what he said yesterday. He only kissed her in case Tony asked. She had thought that he too might feel that something more than friendship was developing between them. Something that she knew she didn't want to end, even if she was not yet willing to put a name to it.

Her thoughts were suspended when the bathroom door opened and Tim exited, "I'm sorry."

"It is Fine. You were not that long."

Tim grimaced, "Not that, about earlier," he corrected waving his hands, "moving you."

She shrugged, "Nothing to apologize for. I understand."

Tim released the breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'm glad, I wouldn't want this to interfere with...things. But I still shouldn't have moved you like that. I just didn't want to-"

"I know," Ziva Interrupted, not wanting to hear Tim admit that he didn't want to kiss her. "I did not mean anything by my teasing. And I do not want to force you to do something you are uncomfortable with."

"I know." Tim agreed, the two exchanging small smiles.

"We are good?" Ziva asked.

"Yes, of course," Tim nodded. "Um, if you want to change your mind about continuing th-"

"Timothy, if I change my mind, you will be the first to know. Trust me, I will have no difficulty informing you of that fact."

"Right. Well, bathrooms's free," he added awkwardly as he walked towards his bag to put his clothes away.

"Timothy," Ziva said before she closed the door. "We are fine. I am still your friend. No number of disagreements or misunderstandings could change that, understand?"

Tim thought about her words, hoping they were true. He wish he knew some way get them back to how they were. Suddenly he turned and grinned at her, "I do."

She laughed at his vow like he intended. Causing both of them to feel better and more relaxed. Both secure in the knowledge that even if nothing else did develop between them they would always have that friendship that seemed to grow deeper the more time they spent together.

* * *

"Ugh! Can't believe we are still here," Tony muttered as the team sat down for dinner that evening. As planned, the team had knocked on Kline's door early that morning. questions in hand. Kline had offered a tale that seemed straight out of the movies, a long lost step-brother who didn't want to share his inheritance and was eliminating those in his way. Kline feared that he was next. Keeping Kline in protective custody, they quickly confirmed his story. They were able to solve the case, the step-brother had followed Kline, but had refused to surrender, his gun raised in the direction of Kline and Tony, Gibbs had no choice but to shoot him to take him down. He was then taken by ambulance to the local hospital, guards at his room, ready to transport him once his conditioned stabilized. They had spent the rest of the day in Hicksville, as Tony called it, to search the area for additional evidence. By the time they finished, everyone was eager to get on the road and return home. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Due to an accident involving an 18-wheeler spilling it's cargo across the road, the team was stuck in town for another night. "Seriously, how can any place be so small that there is only one road in and out of town,".

"Was that not your definition of 'Hicksville?" Ziva inquired.

Tony grumbled, "I didn't know it was true."

"At least we will be well fed," Ziva commented.

"Hmm, on NCIS's dime as well. That calls for a steak, " Tony added as he closed his menu. "Hey, boss, are we still working?"

Gibbs just lifted an eyebrow in inquiry towards Tony.

"Wondering if I could get a beer," he explained. "Could really use one tonight, you know, after facing death."

Tim and Ziva snickered at his words before Ziva commented her agreement, "A nice white wine would go well with my meal."

Gibbs turned to Tim to see if he had anything to add.

"A glass of wine has a certain appeal, right now," he admitted. "As long as we're off the clock," he added.

Gibbs nodded and waved the waitress over, after asking her to put the drinks on a separate check; he ordered a drink for himself, before waving his hand to his agents to give their orders and informing the waitress to place the drinks on a separate bill. "No over indulging," he ordered after the waitress walked away. "Even though we are not technically on call, if anything happens in this area, we might need to help."

"Right, boss," Tim acknowledged.

"Two, three drinks, max," Tony replied happily.

Gibbs nodded, "Remember who you're sharing a room with DiNozzo. I'll know if you're off your game because you had too much."

"Right," Tony muttered, "No more rooms available?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Didn't ask. Seemed to work okay last night, no reason for the extra expense."

Ziva looked at Tony, "Perhaps it is for the best," she said softly

"Why's that?" He suspiciously inquired.

"After your near death experience, it is probably a good thing that you are not alone," she stated, calmly explaining, "In case of nightmares."

Tony glared at her, while Gibbs glared at Tony, his expression conveying the thought that he better not have nightmares.

"I'm fine with the situation," Tim said, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as he tried to defuse the situation.

"Of course you are," Tony muttered quietly. "Well, that's just great," he remarked louder for them to hear, and raising his glass in a 'cheers' gesture before taking a large gulp.

* * *

"Think he'll remember the limit?" Tim asked Ziva as they left the lounge and Tony, to return to their room.

"For his sake I hope so," Ziva commented with a smirk. "I also hope he remembers that he is sharing a room and who with."

Tim snorted at the idea of Tony picking up a girl to bring to a room shared with Gibbs, "For all our sakes, I hope he remembers that, otherwise it will be a long trip home."

"Very true," Ziva agreed as the fell into companionable silence as they entered their room. Once inside, they seamlessly reversed their morning routine, with Ziva taking control of the facilities first, while Tim sat at the desk. Ziva was unsure if he was working on the case, finalizing reports and updating notes or if he was working on something personal like a letter or his book. Regardless, she did not think it was her place to ask.

Once she finished in the bathroom, Tim gathered his night clothes and entered the small room.

"Hey," she called from the opposite side of the closed door, "Are we running tomorrow?"

"We can," he returned, "Why you have a better offer?"

"Offer, no," she admitted, "But I thought I might check out the pool."

Tim opened the door and looked at her in surprise, "You brought your swim suit?"

"Never leave home without it," She smirked. "I keep an old one in my go bag, since I know that most hotels have indoor pools."

"I...that's really smart," Tim finally admitted, sounding a bit jealous.

"Want to join me?"

"I would love to," he admitted, "But I don't have a suit with me."

"Are you sure?"

"Er, yeah. I don't keep one in my go bag, though that might change," he said with a smile towards her, "And I know I didn't pack it. In fact, it was in the pile of clean laundry in my living room."

Ziva smiled, "Hmm, and what would you say if I mention that I had a second swim suit with me?"

Tim tried to keep his eyes from traveling down her body and on her face, "I would say that I doubt we wore the same size."

"You can always try it on to check," she offered.

"Not a chance with Tony in the same zip code, let alone, the same building," Tim replied with a laugh. "With my luck the fire alarm would go off and we would need to evacuate the building at that very moment. No way I want to be caught in a bikini."

"It is a one-piece,"

"Oh, well, that's okay then," Tim jokingly retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Good, I'll go get it for you," she said as she turned and walked towards her bag.

"Ziva!" he called trying to halt her movements. "Ziva, No. I was kidding."

"I am not," she replied, clutching a rolled up piece of fabric. "For me?" she asked with a smile.

"Nope," he replied, as he stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door, once again cursing that the hotel bathroom didn't have a lock on the door.

"Here," She said, as she opened the door and handed him the swimsuit.

"Ziva," he pleaded, not looking at the item in question.

"At least look at it," she smirked.

Automatically Tim listened and looked at the blue and black rolled fabric, "Well, at least it's not pink."

"See? Maybe it won't be that bad," she offered another smile, still holding it out.

Reluctantly, he took it from her and closed the door.

Tim sighed as he quickly dropped the item on the floor and turned to start the shower and finish undressing.

It wasn't until he finished his nightly regimen and picked up the discarded swimsuit that he really saw it. After spending a few minutes gaping at it in disbelief, he left to confront his friend.

"Ziva," he called as he exited the bath.

"Yes, Timothy?" She smirked.

"This is my bathing suit."

Ziva shrugged, "I said I had a second suit with me, I never said it was one of mine," she replied with a smile.

"And you couldn't have said that from the beginning?"

"This was more fun," she teased, as Tim threw the rolled up suit at her in retaliation.

"How I wish I had a snowball," he commented dryly. "I guess I'll just have to settle for splashing you in the pool tomorrow morning."

"Bring it," she challenged.

"Oh, it's on."

"Actually, it is on the floor," she retorted, pointing to where his swimsuit landed.

"Ha ha," he joked back, as he put away his dirty clothes, and picked up his suit. "By the way, when did you grab that?"

"While you were packing. I saw it with your laundry, which I folded again," she teased, "and stuck it in my bag when I walked Jethro so I could bring it with us."

"And you couldn't have just asked me to pack it with my stuff?"

"Would you have?"

Tim opened his mouth to automatically say yes before he thought about the question.

"Without an argument?" she continued.

"Probably not," he admitted.

"See? My way was faster...and more fun."

"I don't know about faster," he grinned, "but I think this plan of ours has created a monster," he teased. "You never enjoyed little jokes and teasing as much before we started this."

"It can be fun," Ziva admitted with a shrug. "I can see why Tony enjoys it. But," she continued when Tim opened his mouth to speak, "He does go too far. He neither knows when to stop nor what topics should be off base."

"Limits, off limits," Tim corrected, causing Ziva to roll her eyes.

"And I am not as bad as he is, right?" Ziva asked, continuing before Tim could answer, "I had not realized how much I like to laugh. It is something that I recently noticed has been missing in my life for quite a while."

"Then I am glad to oblige, my lady," he teased, adding a sweeping bow to his words before he climbed into bed. "I'll gladly play the jester if your laughter is the reward."

Ziva smiled fondly again before cleaning up and heading to bed herself for the night. "Ready for Lights out?" she called.

"I'm good," he said, right before the room was enveloped in darkness. "Night, fair lady," he teased, hoping to bring another smile to her face.

"Good night, my elf lord," she replied with a chuckle, "Sweet dreams."

* * *

9-25-28


	39. Wednesday, Feb 25 (J39)

Wednesday, Feb 25

Early the next morning, Tim woke to find an unfamiliar weight on his left arm and side. Opening his eyes, all he could see was Ziva's wavy hair, broken free from the hair tie she used to secure it the night before. Tim was laying on his back, Ziva cuddled up on his left side, draped over his chest, his left arm underneath her, his hand resting on her back. Her right hand was curled up by her side, the left hand, on his stomach and chest. If it wasn't for the discomfort of a full bladder, he would have been sure that he was dreaming.

"Ziva…Ziva," he called softly, lightly touching her shoulder with his right hand. When she didn't move or make a sound, Tim looked towards the ceiling as if seeking divine help. Now what? He wondered. He knew he could be touchy when he first woke up, how much more so would a trained assassin react? He hesitated to disturb her, either by sound or touch. Sound because even though they only had a few glasses of wine last night, who knows the effect it might have and touch because touching Ziva without permission is likable to signing your own death certificate. He got away with it last night when he moved her, he definitely did not want to press his luck.

"Ziva," he called again, a little bit louder, rubbing a hand down her back comfortingly, hoping a combination of the two would ease her awake.

"Hmmm, not now, Tim," She mumbled against his chest.

"Sorry, but I need the bathroom," he explained, deciding to wait until later to ask why she was in his bed.

"Tim." she complained as she rolled off of him and onto her back so he could escape.

Grateful for her actions, Tim left the bed and headed to the lavatory, eventually returning to the larger room.

"Damn, it's cold," he muttered as he debated whether to climb back into his bed or into Ziva's empty one.

"I know, that is why I crawled in with you," she explained. "Are you getting back in or are we going swimming now?"

Tim automatically glanced at the clock, "Depends. How long a swim do you want to take?"

She sighed and sat up, "I will probably not be able to go back to sleep anyway," she admitted. "Might as well take that swim and enjoy some time in the hot tub."

Tim smiled, "Now you're talking," he said as he grabbed his bathing suit and reentered the bathroom to change.

* * *

Tim and Ziva returned to their room, laughing and joking the entire way back from the pool. That quickly came to an end once they opened their door and caught sight of Tony and Gibbs in their room.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Tim asked, his tone serious.

"Nothing, apparently, McSpa," Tony retorted, before giving a nod to Gibbs and exiting the room.

"What?" A confused Tim said, staring after him in concern.

"What was that about?" Ziva asked, turning to Gibbs.

"Nothing," Gibbs stated, heading towards the door himself. "We want to check out ASAP. Get on the road as soon as it opens."

"Yes, of course," Tim agreed automatically. "Any idea on when it's expected to open?"

"Should be around 1100, noon at the latest," Gibbs replied. "Make sure everything is packed and out of the room by 1100. I suggest you grab something to eat here. We won't be stopping for lunch."

"Right," Tim nodded as Gibbs exited their room.

"What was that about?" Tim asked, repeating Ziva's earlier question.

"Checkout," she replied, stating the obvious, "and getting home."

"Something else happened," Tim said, shaking his head before sighing, "Or Tony was up to something, Gibbs caught him and he doesn't want us to get upset, so he isn't telling us."

"It is not yet 0800," Ziva changed the topic. "Shall we shower, change, and head to breakfast?"

"Might as well," Tim agreed, as the two set the new plan into motion.

* * *

As Tim and Ziva entered the restaurant, they saw Tony sitting alone at a table for four in the corner. Ziva pushed Tim towards him before making excuses about needing the ladies room.

"Hey," Tim greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"Hey. I was just leaving," Tony returned.

Tim frowned, "Surely you can stay for another cup of coffee?"

"Lots to do. I'm working," Tony replied. "Not on vacation, contrary to what some people might thing."

Tim's eyes narrowed and hardened. "We went for a swim," he retorted. "We woke up and our room was freezing. A quick swim and time in the hot tub seemed heaven sent."

"No doubt."

Tim sighed, not knowing what else to say. At least Tony had stayed, Tim realized, figuring he couldn't be too upset.

"Get any pics of Ziva in her bikini?" Tony asked.

"It was a one piece, and no."

"Figures," Tony snorted.

Tim glared at his partner, "What is your problem?"

"No problem here," Tony denied. "All is hunky dory in 'Hicksville'. Maybe you are the one with the problem."

Tim rolled his eyes, biting his tongue to keep from saying that he was looking at his problem. "Whatever," he said instead. "Can I?" he asked, hand pointing to the carafe of coffee on the table.

"Yeah, sure. As I said, I was just leaving," Tony repeated, pushing his chair back. "Lots to do."

"Like what?" Tim asked skeptically.

"The duties of a Very Special Field Agent," he retorted as he walked away.

"Everything okay?" Ziva asked, absently placing a hand on Tim's shoulder as she stood next to him.

"No. But he won't tell me what's going on, just redirects the conversation."

Ziva snorted.

"What?"

She turned and looked him in the eye, "You do something similar when you don't want to talk."

He snorted, "It's Tony, he _always_ wants to talk."

"Hmm," she hummed before suggesting they partake of the breakfast buffett.

* * *

After finishing breakfast they returned to their room, it was now a few minutes before 1000.

"You all packed?" Ziva asked.

Tim looked around the room, "I think so, except for my wet bathing suit hanging in the bathroom. I'm hoping to let that dry some more before I pack it away."

Ziva nodded, she was in the same situation. "I will go down to the desk and see if we can get those plastic laundry bags for them. I am sure neither of us wants to have our clothes or go bags smell like chlorine."

Tim smiled, "At least not the bags. My clothes I can wash as soon as I get home, so it won't be that bad."

Ziva looked at him for a few minutes.

"What?" Tim asked self-consciously.

"Nothing," Ziva replied, not wanting to bring up what was on her mind.

"Ziva," Tim stated softly, trying to get her to say what was on her mind. "It is okay, you can ask me anything."

"I was just wondering what your fascination with laundry was," she admitted awkwardly.

"What?" Tim asked in confusion.

She shrugged, "It is just that we arrived home late Sunday night, yet on Monday afternoon when we stopped by your apartment, your clothes were already cleaned. You must have spent hours doing your laundry Sunday night. I was just curious as to why it was so important to you."

Tim smiled, "It's not. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to do something productive, specifically, repack my go bag which I had used for our weekend trip. I washed my clothes and intended to fold them as well, but fell asleep."

She scrunched her nose up, "You didn't leave them in the laundry room all night did you?"

Tim frowned, "I didn't go to the laundry room." When Ziva opened her mouth to speak, he added, "I have a washer and dryer in my apartment."

"You do? Where?"

Tim snorted, "I take it you didn't snoop when you helped with Jethro?"

"Of course not," she defended herself. "Now, where is your washer and dryer? I can't imagine anywhere in your apartment large enough to hold them."

"It's a compact, stackable set. It's in the hallway, behind the folding door."

"Oh, I thought that was your hot water heater."

"It is," Tim admitted, "But it was designed to hold a stackable unit as well. Definitely comes in handy with our crazy schedule."

"Yes, I can see that," Ziva agreed. "Perhaps this weekend I will make plans for us to use the washer and dryer at your place," she teased.

"Not exactly the romantic date I had in mind," Tim teased, before becoming horrified at what he said. "Er, not that I really had anything romantic in mind or tha-"

"I was teasing, Timothy," Ziva cut him off. "And I did promise something to wow Tony."

"Tony," Tim repeated, wondering what was going on with the senior agent, why he and Gibbs had been in their room.

Ziva smiled softly at Tim before rubbing her hand along his arm, "I am going to get those bags," she informed him before grabbing the room key and exiting, leaving Tim to his thoughts.

* * *

"What did I see yesterday?" Gibbs asked as she stepped off the elevator, returning from the front desk.

Ziva glared at him. She was a bit surprised he had chosen to confront her about the situation, even more surprised that he hadn't done so earlier. Of course, this also provided her with the chance to ask some questions of her own.

"Why were you and Tony in our room this morning?"

Their gazes locked, neither one wanting to give in first.

"If Tony broke in to obtain pictures of me while sleeping, or to play a prank on Tim," Ziva warned.

"He didn't," Gibbs snapped.

"Then why were you there?"

"Tony went to your room to see if the two of you were interested in going jogging this morning. He got worried when no one answered. Since all the rooms are registered to NCIS, he went to the desk, showed his ID and said he locked himself out; they gave him another key card. When he realized that neither of you were there, and that your room was unnaturally cold, he contacted me."

"Why?"

"He was worried that someone had tampered with the unit; had added something that might knock the two of you out or make you ill. He stayed in the room, since he had already been exposed, to see if he started to develop any symptoms. After a reasonable amount of time had passed and he did not feel any differently, we deemed it safe, and I entered the room."

Ziva frowned, "Why did he not try to contact our cells?"

"He did," Gibbs stated.

"But-"

"There was no answer," Gibbs continued, before pointing out, "Pools in the basement, most likely no cell service."

Ziva nodded, remembering Tim saying something similar once.

"How long were you, he there?"

"I was there for a little over an hour, at least an additional half hour-forty minutes for Tony," Gibbs admitted. "The room showed no sign of struggle or distress," Ziva nodded, not surprised by that, both she and Tim were quite neat, something they had realized the first time they shared a room a few weeks ago, and had confirmed this past weekend while in Florida. "Because of that, he thought you might have gone running, since he knew that none of you did so yesterday. However, he couldn't tell if anything was missing to confirm that theory. He had already asked the desk if they had seen you, but the girl there had just gotten on duty, so wasn't sure if you had walked by or not. They did let us know that you were not in the dining room for breakfast," he informed her. "They also informed us that cell reception in this town was hit or miss and depending on the route you took, if you were jogging, it was quite possible that your phone didn't ring. He was going to give it another ten minutes before contacting Abby to trace your phones."

Ziva frowned, "He was really worried," she stated in surprise.

Gibbs glared at her, "We both were."

She nodded, "Why didn't you tell us this in the room?"

"Didn't matter, you were back and safe."

Ziva frowned at that. She was sure it would matter, especially to Tim. She was going to open her mouth and tell him that, but she did not get the chance.

"Your turn, now. What did I see yesterday?"

"Why did you not ask McGee?" She asked curiously.

Gibbs returned her glare, "Because from what I saw, you were the instigator."

She frowned, "Does that not mean troublemaker?"

"You tell me," Gibbs replied, staring at her. "Are you causing trouble?"

"NO!" She denied before thinking about Tim's reaction last night. "At least that is not my intent," she explained.

"What is your intent?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to help McGee?"

"I do," she said, unable to suppress a smile at the vow like phrase.

"Then what the hell were you doing yesterday morning?"

She shrugged dismissively, "Just teasing him a bit."

"And how does he feel about that teasing?" Gibbs asked, not giving her a chance to answer before glaring at her and shaking his head as he began to walk away, quietly adding, "Wasn't Tim wanting a reprieve from Tony's teasing the reason why this all started?"

Surprised at his parting comment and wondering if Tim did equate her teasing on par with Tony's, she walked the rest of the way to the room on autopilot, forgetting that she never told Gibbs why it would matter if he had told them about why Tony in their room.

"You okay?" Tim asked, looking up from his computer, as Ziva returned to the room.

"What? Oh, yes, I am fine," she replied, holding out the bags. "I'll go gather our suits," she replied, spending a few minutes in the bathroom to both complete her task and gather herself together.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He shrugged, "Since we had some time and I had my laptop on me, I figured I would try to get a head start on my reports."

She looked at him in surprise, she knew he had something set up to help him get his reports done away from the office, after all, she had used it last Friday, but she didn't know he frequently used it.

"Why are you often in such a rush to finish your reports? Is it that COD personality thing Tony refers to?"

"COD?" Tim repeated.

"Complete Obsessiveness Disease, I believe," Ziva offered.

Tim groaned, "OCPD, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, and no. It's because I like my job, would like to keep it, and that means doing it well, including all the irritating and time consuming reports. Plus, if it's close to the end of the day or week, Gibbs often dismisses us after our reports are completed and approved. Any chance to get away from Tony, I will take," he added jokingly.

"So you use this often," she commented.

"Yeah, sometimes," he admitted. "It helps to keep things fresh in my mind, especially when it's a very difficult or long case. Sometimes the days and interviews get jumbled. Did they mention the safe deposit box during the second interview or the third? Things like that."

She nodded, "I completely understand. And is this the reason why you are often finished so quickly? You are always the first one done, sometimes I do not finish until over an hour after you, Tony even later."

Tim shrugged, not answering or meeting her gaze.

"Timothy?"

"Partly, perhaps," he admitted.

"And the other part?"

He shrugged again. "Since Gibbs often leaves us alone in the bullpen to complete our reports and the case is basically closed, Tony takes that opportunity to relax and try to prank me. He is more concerned about that than getting the reports done quickly."

She frowned, while Tony does not often seem to be in a rush to complete the reports, what Timothy implied wasn't the complete truth. "He doesn't always prank you," she pointed out.

"No, but he does play around or try to distract me, often trying to keep me from completing my reports."

"Which doesn't work, because you have most of it already done," she realized.

Tim inclined his head in acknowledgement of the truth of her statement. "Me finishing the reports first and so quickly _always_ drives Tony crazy, which is another reason why I like to have everything prepared ahead of time. Not to mention, I consider it part of my job, and I'd rather type up my notes than surf the internet for movie trivia or quizzes."

"And me?"

Tim looked at her, not sure what she meant.

"Why are your reports completed before mine? Is it just the fact that you typed things out ahead of time?"

"I…yeah, I guess."

"Tim," she prodded.

"Honestly?" He asked, receiving a nod in reply. "You get more distracted by Tony's antics than I do," he pointed out to her. "I occasionally comment on them, but am still at my desk, working, whereas you often stand and threaten him with a paperclip, or join him at his desk to read about what he had found on the net."

"I…yes, I guess I do," she admitted.

"You, ah," he hesitated, "also seem to get upset and frustrated at the computer pretty often and end up spending more time hitting it than typing on it."

She gave a wry smile, "Yes, I guess I do that as well. Though, to be truthful, it is not the computer I get upset and frustrated with, it is just easier to take it out on that."

Tim nodded, realizing the truth of her words, "Um, if you don't mind me asking, why do you get upset and frustrated?"

She scrunched her nose up, "Usually it is at myself. Sometimes it is trying to find the right word to express what happened. Often it eludes me and I know it is right there on the end of my tongue, yet I, what?" she asked, breaking off when she noticed Tim smiling during her explanation.

"Tip, it's on the tip of your tongue."

"That right there is an example of what I mean," she said, glaring at him, "That makes no sense, tongues do not have tips, they are not sharp, they have ends," she argued.

Tim attempted to hide his smile as he explained, "Tip can also refer to something with a rounded end."

She raised an eyebrow, "You just said it yourself, _end_ ," she gloated, before getting back to the original topic. "Sometimes it is a language issue and sometimes it is because I am not sure if I got all the details correct. When the case takes a while, the days tend to blur together, especially when we have little sleep."

"I…if you want, I can show you more about the program I created, even download it onto your laptop so you can use it."

"I would like that," she said. "Perhaps you can show it to me on the drive back to the yard?"

* * *

The drive home seemed much longer than the drive there. Perhaps because the car was filled with tension. Tony and Tim seemed to spend the first few minutes of the trip glaring at one another. It was only Ziva's comforting touch that kept him from losing his temper. She had rearranged their belongings in the backseat, placing her jacket on the seat between them to cover their clasping hands, to prevent it from being obvious to Tony or Gibbs.

As she had suggested, they spent the time in the car with Tim showing her how he used the program he created. Tim ended up creating a dual screen, one holding the report program, the other a word processing program so he could type what he would normally tell her. Neither one minded that this required that they sit close to one another, heads and shoulders practically touching, and sometimes hands as Ziva often used the keyboard to communicate with Tim as well. This was something that Tony quickly noticed and brought attention to.

"What are you two doing? Watching a movie? You look quite cozy back there."

"No sound," Tim dryly pointed out, trying to avoid both Tony's and Gibbs' gaze.

"You can always use closed caption for the dialogue," Tony retorted, "Though I agree, the sound often does make a movie."

"Not quite what I said," Tim muttered, too softly to be heard in the front seat, "But we'll go with that."

"So what are you doing?"

"Just reviewing some things on my computer," Tim supplied.

"And Ziva?"

She shrugged, "Not much else to do," she replied.

"Well, let me know if you find anything interesting or embarrassing on there," he told her, "I could use a good laugh."

Tim ignored his comment and kept his gaze focused on the screen in front of him.

 _'ignore him'_ Ziva typed, making sure to caress his hand while she did so. Tim gave her a grateful smile.

' _Any ideas for this weekend'_ she asked.

' _I'm up for anything, including laundry,'_ he typed back, causing her to snort and Tony to turn around to look at them again. ' _I'm sure Jethro would like it if you just hung around with him at my place most of the day.'_

 _'And you? Would you like th_ she started to type before backspacing and simply typing ' _:)'_ She knew what she would like to do this weekend, but she also knew what she had to do before that could happen.

Tim looked at her in concern, wondering why she deleted what she wrote without giving him a chance to respond. _'you okay?'_

 _'yeah, just tired I guess. Had a hard time sleeping when I was so cold last night'_

 _'Sleep'_ he suggested, _'We still have a few hours to go, I'm sure you won't miss much'_ he said, rolling his eyes and inclining his head towards Tony when she looked at him.

 _'I would like to work more on my report so I can finish before you and perhaps leave early'_

He grinned, _'I think you got more done than you realize'_ he offered. _'it'll be fine. Sleep if you need to'_

Before she could type a response, or fall asleep, Tony turned around and looked at them again.

"So, McGeek, any exciting plans with the girlfriend this weekend?" Tony asked from the front seat as the team headed back to DC. "Wait, let me rephrase that, _any_ _plans_ with your girlfriend this weekend?"

"Tony,"

"Yeah, yeah, not your girlfriend," Tony said for him. "But if you want her to be, you'll have to do something special to make up for things."

"Make up for what things?" His tone expressing his confusion.

"Being away for three days and two nights with another woman," he replied, smirking at Tim and wiggling his eyebrows.

Tim's eyes flew to Gibbs in the mirror. "We were _working_ ," he stressed, "nothing happened."

"Well, yeah, of course _I_ know that," Tony snorted, "And she might believe that…at least until she hears who you shared a room with, and an early morning swim and dip in the hot tub, as well as how cozy the two of you look right now."

Tim felt Ziva caress his arm again where it laid over the keyboard and behind the screen, safe from Tony's view.

"Ton-" she began, only to be cut off by Tim, who had returned the caress, ending his with a squeeze of her hand.

"Actually, Tony, she knows _everything_ that went on this weekend, including who I was paired with for the stakeout to who I had breakfast with and everything in between."

"What? How?" he asked suspiciously. "I never saw you with your phone out talking to her.

Ziva grinned, "I can verify that he talked to her in our room, every night…and every morning," she added, smirking at Tony, "In fact, it almost seemed like they were talking incessantly."

"McNeedy much?" Tony retorted.

"And I don't have anything to make up for. She trusts me, with good reason," Tim added, casting a quick glance at Ziva. "As for our weekend plans," Tim shrugged, " _she_ wants to plan our next date."

"Really?" Tony questioned, sounding both surprised and impressed.

"Yes," Tim hesitantly replied, a bit leery at Tony's enthusiasm.

"Tim," Tony began, staring him in the eye, "This could be the weekend she makes you breakfast."

"I…what?"

"Tim, Tim, Tim," Tony said, shaking his head at each repetition of the name. "When a girl says she wants to _plan_ your date, she is not referring to her picking the restaurant or movie." Tony paused as he thought about what little he knows about Tim's girlfriend. "Hmm, you said she likes to cook, right?"

"Yes," Tim confirmed.

"My guess? She is probably going to invite you over for a home cooked meal, where _she_ will be both dessert and breakfast," Tony hypothesized before pausing and winking at McGee. "I suggest you bring a toothbrush," he added with a wide grin.

Tim didn't say a word, but shook his head.

"What? Don't you _want_ to sleep with her?" Tony asked, staring at Tim expectantly.

"I…" Tim couldn't help but look from Tony, to Ziva sitting next to him, to Gibbs in the rearview mirror, all three were silent and watching him, waiting for him to answer, each for a different reason.

* * *

10-1-18


	40. Thursday Feb 26 Peggy (J40)

Thursday Feb 26 (J40) not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies

* * *

"You guys leaving already?" Tony asked as Tim and Ziva stood, bags over there shoulders, work stations powered down for the night.

"Uh, yeah," Tim replied, awkwardly stating the obvious. "Boss said we could head out as soon as our reports were done."

Tony looked between his computer and his two coworkers, "How do you always get them done so quickly?" he muttered, causing Ziva to smirk. She _almost_ had hers turned in before Tim. Unfortunately, he had beaten her by 4 minutes, 32 seconds.

"I thought we could go out for drinks," Tony continued. "I can meet you somewhere as soon as I finish my report. I should be done in about thirty minutes, an hour at the most."

"We had drinks last night," Tim reminded the SFA.

Tony grimaced, "Drinks in Hicksville, because we were stuck there for a case, doesn't count. You in?"

"Ah," Tim hesitated.

"Plans with Peggy?" Tony smirked.

"Peggy?"

"Your potential girlfriend," Tony supplied, continuing when Tim went to open his mouth. "P.G. Peg, Peggy," he shared. "Since you won't even provide me with her name, I had to call her something, and calling her your potential girlfriend is too long."

"Ah," Tim nodded, deciding it wasn't work arguing about. "and yes, I owe her dinner."

Eyebrows raised, "I thought you didn't have anything to make up for?"

"I don't," Tim commented, "But she helped me with something and I thought I would buy her dinner in return."

Tony smirked, "Scamming an extra date, I like it," he stated proudly.

Tim rolled his eyes, "I just want her to know that I appreciate what she did."

"And what did she do?"

"I…that's personal," Tim finally replied.

"Lucky you," Tony commented, wiggling his eyebrows before turning to Ziva. "How about you, you up for drinks?"

"I, too, have plans," Ziva responded.

"Man," Tony grumbled, "Ever since you guys started seeing Peggy and guy in tights, we haven't spent any time together."

Tim snorted.

"What?" Tony asked.

"In the last two weeks, we had _two_ cases that required us to be out of town for three nights. That is more time than we usually spend together."

Tony waved his arms dismissively, "Work related, doesn't count," he reminded them.

"Sorry," Tim said, heading towards elevator, "Maybe next time."

"I'll hold you to that!" Tony called after them, reluctantly returning to work on his report.

* * *

"You can just drop me off and go home, we don't have to eat dinner together," Tim told her softly, "I know that you said you were tired."

"Not that tired," Ziva replied. "Besides, it is a tradition to order The Kitchen Sink on Wednesday, I have been thinking about it all day. And since we were able to leave work at a reasonable time, partially because of your program, I believe I should treat you to dinner."

An eyebrow raised, "I thought I was buying dinner as a thank you for your rescue earlier?"

"I told you that you did not owe me. I am your partner, of course I have your six."

"But-

"Tim," Ziva interrupted, glaring at him. "Next time I _will_ have my reports finished and turned in before you, then you can buy dinner."

"You sure about that?"

"About finishing my report before you? Yes," She confidently replied with a grin.

"Well, we shall see about that, but if that's what you want," Tim capitulated, shrugging his shoulders and returning her smile, "Who am I to try to talk a beautiful woman out of buying me dinner?"

Ziva smirked in satisfaction as Tim opened his phone to place their order.

She risked a quick glance at him before turning back to the road, "Does Gibbs know about your program?"

Tim hesitated, "I haven't told him and he hasn't said anything, but he's Gibbs, so, yes, probably," Tim replied, to Ziva's amusement.

"You know he's not really omniscient," she teased.

"I know," Tim responded, "Just very aware and observant. Not to mention psychic," he teased.

She snorted, "That would be scary."

"I rather him be psychic than a mind reader," he retorted without thinking.

She looked at him inquiringly, "What thoughts are you trying to hide?"

He blushed and avoided her eyes, "None," he replied, and _he_ didn't have to be a mind reader to know that she didn't believe him. Luckily, she didn't pursue the issue.

"By the way," he said, still red from embarrassment, "Thank you again for the save earlier."

"Eh,' she shrugged dismissively, grinning at him, "I told you, I have your six."

"Still, I owe you," he replied. That awkward moment in the car when Tony unknowingly asked him if he wanted to sleep with Ziva had lasted for an eternity. Or so it felt to Tim. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. He didn't have to look at them to know what he would see: curiosity, worry, surprise, fear, disgust. He had no idea how to answer that question, since he knew that there wasn't a right answer, not with the three of them present. Luckily, Ziva had stepped in and had taken control of the situation.

"It is not just what _partners_ do," Ziva replied, as she pulled into the restaurant parking lot, "But also friends, so you do not owe me anything."

"Okay," Tim replied softly, as she exited the car to retrieve their order. She had already threatened him with her car keys if he even attempted to pay for their meals.

It wasn't long before they were back in Tim's apartment. As soon as they entered the first thing Ziva did was check out the hall closet where Tim had mentioned his washer/dryer was. "It does exist," she teased.

"And available if you need it," he returned, getting the plates and utensils ready for their meal.

"If we have a crazy schedule next week, I might take you up on that," she replied before joining him in the kitchen. "It is a shame that Tony came up with the name Peggy."

"Why?" Tim asked, as he pulled out a chair for her to sit on.

"Because it would have been funny if _you_ had come up with that and started referring to her by that name. Tony would've gone crazy looking up every Peggy in the area, especially the ones that were teachers or nurses."

Tim laughed. "It would've been something to see, especially once the truth was revealed and we mentioned what Peggy stood for."

"And that _I_ was Peggy," Ziva added, causing the two to laugh again.

"Now _that_ would've been a worthy April Fool's day joke." Tim added.

"How does he come up with this stuff though? Peggy?" Ziva asked shaking his head.

Tim shrugged, "I stopped trying to figure out Tony a long time ago."

"Hmm," Ziva replied, as she pushed the food around on her plate. "I do not believe he is that complicated."

Tim thought about it for a moment, "No, probably not," Tim admitted. "But I don't really have a frame of reference for him. He's not like the bullies I knew in school, but he's not really someone I can really relate to either. I think we are just too different. I mean, yeah, we could have had a good working relationship if he had demonstrated even a hint of respect towards me, but from the moment we met he began using me as a source of amusement."

Ziva frowned, "You cannot be too different, you both chose the same path in life."

"Professionally, maybe. But everything else is polar opposites. Childhood, schooling, interests, romantic pursuits. The only thing we had in common is that Gibbs saw something in each of us and pulled us onto his team. He actually got Tony into NCIS," Tim added.

"Then you have more in common with him than I do or you do with me," Ziva stated, pushing away the plate she hadn't taken a bit off of in the last several minutes.

Tim fell silent as he thought about her words, "Maybe, if you look at it that way," he reluctantly admitted. "But as I said, Tony and I might have had a good, or at least better, professional relationship if he had shown me some respect. You," Tim paused, looking at her, "You might not have been that impressed with me, but you didn't make me feel useless, or an imbecile that couldn't do anything right, or that I was an idiot for trying to be an agent."

"Tim," Ziva began, only to be cut off by her companion.

"It's okay, Ziva. If I had your background and had to work with someone like me, I might've been much harsher than just joining in when others said things," he said, as he began clearing the table.

"Do you want to take that home with you?" Tim offered, "You didn't eat much. Er, not that you eat a lot or that there's anything wrong with how much you eat. I jus-"

"Tim, it's fine. I'm fine," she added, "Just not as hungry as I thought I was."

Tim nodded. "I'll pack it up for you, in case you get hungry when you get home. That always seem to happen to me."

"Okay," she replied, clearing away the rest of the dishes before heading to the living room to play with Jethro. She wanted to talk to Tim about what he had just revealed, but in truth, didn't know where to start.

"You should probably head out soon," Tim commented.

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"Of course not," Tim blushed, "But as I said earlier, I know you didn't sleep well last night, would hate for Gibbs to be after us tomorrow because we stayed up all night talking and playing with Jethro."

"It would be worth it," she replied, rubbing the dog's belly.

"Yeah, I don't Gibbs would believe that," he replied, holding her coat. "Come on, you can walk Jethro with me before you head out."

"Now that is an offer I cannot refuse," she said, grabbing the dog's leash after putting on her coat, leaving Tim to grab her leftovers.

Subconsciously the two started to walk the same path they had two weeks ago, the night of their first kiss. For February, it was fairly warm, though Tim, realizing Ziva was shivering a bit, removed his coat and placed it on her shoulders. "You should head home before you get sick."

She snorted, "One night of walking is not going to make me sick," she replied. Before changing the subject, "Why will you not just tell Tony that I, that _Peggy_ is your girlfriend?"

Tim smiled at the use of the name Peggy. "Because you're not," he replied, not meeting her gaze.

Ziva rolled her eyes, in frustration. It has almost been a month since they started this plan, only a few days since they 'restarted' it, yet Ziva couldn't help but wonder what was going through Tim's mind. Sometimes she wondered if he really enjoyed spending the time with her. It seemed to her that he was always trying to get out of it or get rid of her, like today in the car, and just now at his apartment. He said he enjoyed the time together, but did he really? And given what he had shared tonight, perhaps he really hadn't forgiven her for her actions? "Yes, I _know,_ and part of the plan, the reason we started this was so he thinks I am."

"I know."

"Then why not?"

"This is working well," he pointed out, not really answering her question. "Makes him asks for updates all the time. If I give in to him, he'll lose interest."

"Doubtful," she replied. "It is Tony. He always has something to say."

Tim shrugged, not responding.

"Timothy, we promised to be open."

"You know I can't lie, and I know that you're not my girlfriend, that it's not true," _will never be true_ , he silently added.

"And?" Ziva asked sensing here was more.

"And they would probably pick up on that," he added, hoping she would drop the subject, "ruining everything."

"And?"

"And" Tim admitted with a sigh, 'If I start to think of you that way, as my girlfriend," he explained, "I worry about how it would affect our friendship. I know me as well as I know my computer programs," he admitted. "If I say it or hear it often enough, I'll believe it's true. I'll then start acting like it's true, even though I _know_ it isn't, that it's a pretense," he sighed, making sure not to look at her. By now the two had headed back towards Tim's building and Ziva's car.

"I fall fast and hard," he reluctantly confessed, and Ziva felt chills down her spine at his words, knowing he wasn't talking about trips and spills. "You are an incredible woman. I've thought so since I first met you, and since I got to know you, really got to know you, well,…" he trailed off, looking into her eyes for a brief moment before turning away. "You would be easy to fall for, and I fear, no coming back from, that's why I won't say you're my girlfriend," he finished, coming to a stop.

Ziva looked around and was surprised that they were now standing beside her car.

"Be careful driving home, and get some rest," he advised, waiting for her to unlock her car and drive away.

"Tim,"

"It's okay," he reassured her. "Now go get some rest before work tomorrow."

With a sigh, Ziva gave in. One thing was for sure, as part of the date she was planning this weekend, she would make sure they had time to finish this conversation.

* * *

"What do you know about McGee's girlfriend?" The first chance he had Thursday morning, Tony had escaped to Abby's lab, hoping she would have more information on Tim's Peggy. He didn't like that his partner was getting so involved with someone that none of them had met.

"Good morning to you too," Abby retorted before processing Tony's words and spinning around to face him "What do you mean Timmy has a girlfriend?"

Tony frowned, "I told you about her a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, and nobody has said a word about her to me since then. I thought we were right and she was just using him for Valentine's Day, and that they've broken up by now."

"You're kidding, right?" he asked, his surprise evident in his tone and face, Tim really hadn't mentioned anything to her?

"Shouldn't I be asking that?" she returned. "It's _way_ ," she dragged the word out, "too early for April Food's Day," she said, before glaring at him, eyes narrowed. "But I know you, you like to begin prep work early.

"Nope," she continued shaking her head, "I'm not going to listen to you or believe anything until April 2nd."

"At this rate by April 2nd he'll be McGroom," Tony snorted. "And I'm not laying the ground work for a joke or prank," he claimed.

"I highly doubt he'll be married within the next few weeks."

"He wouldn't be Probie if he didn't do something impetuous and ruin the relationship," Tony commented, getting back to the previous topic. "If Tim really likes this girl and thinks she's the one, what are the odds he'll do something crazy like ask her to move in or propose to her?"

"I…I don't know."

"But you admit it could be a possibility?"

Abby froze at his words.

"He's serious about her," Tony warned. "They went away for the weekend. McFrugal took her to a five star restaurant for Valentine's Day."

"So he says," Abby retorted in denial.

"One, it's McGee, he can't lie," at Abby's look, he added, "He _can_ omit and hide things, but he can't lie. Ask the right questions and the truth comes out. Two, I saw pics from the date."

"Really? What is she like?" Abby asked curiously.

"Don't know."

"But-"

"McSecretive wouldn't show me picks of her, just him at the restaurant with the chef," he admitted.

Abby snorted, "I wonder why."

Tony shrugged, "He didn't say, though Ziva said she didn't trust me not to get a copy of her pictures and run facial recognition software on her date. Tim probably agreed, of course, my theory is that Tim didn't want me to make fun of his girlfriend."

Abby frowned, "Ziva has pics of her date as well?"

Tony nodded. "The funny thing is that they have pictures with the same chef."

"They were at the same restaurant?" Abby asked suspiciously. "They were together? I knew that they were getting closer, but really?"

"Really what?" Tony asked, he had started to answer her first two questions, but got so confused by her third, that he addressed that one first.

"Timmy and Ziva _are_ dating!"

Tony groaned, "Not this again," he complained.

"Why shouldn't they date?" Abby asked. "A handsome, successful, and talented man dating an attractive, powerful, and skillful, albeit dangerous woman.

"Talented how?" The agent asked curiously, he never heard Abby describe him like that.

"Tony!" she scolded, trying to get him back on topic.

He shrugged, "It's not happening."

"Why not? They could be good together."

"Really? They have nothing in common," Tony argued, "Except me, of course."

Abby rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored the last comment, "You know what they say, opposites attract."

"And when have you ever seen them attracted to one another?" Tony asked.

Abby shrugged, "Maybe not an instant, pure animal lust attraction," Abby admitted, "But sometimes there's another attraction that develops, one that takes longer to develop, allowing it to last longer as well. Once lust is sated, there is noting else there to keep you together, this other attraction that develops from respect, care, and concern is even more powerful."

Tony snorted, "When have you seen respect between Ziva and McGee?" He asked rhetorically, before addressing the other questions Abby had asked earlier. "Besides, I know that they're not dating because they were at different restaurants. Ziva's date took her to a cooking class held at that new restaurant opening up on Penn Ave. The chef led the class, they used the kitchen, mingled in the lounge, then dined in the partitioned off dining room. McGee took his date to the Chef's restaurant on M Street, the one I can't pronounce," Tony reluctantly admitted, "Apparently the owner stopped by after the class and greeted guests in the dining room"

"Oh," Abby said, "You sure?"

Tony frowned, "You sound disappointed. Do you want them together?"

"Well, no, not really," she admitted. "Not enough to set them up or suggest they date," she explained, "But Timmy deserves to be happy."

"And Ziva will make him happy?" he asked skeptically.

Abby shrugged, "All I know is that I didn't, couldn't and that all these years he's been looking for something. I want him to find it."

Tony looked at her suspiciously, "Even if it's not with you."

"Yes," she reluctantly confessed. "Probably best that it's not me. As I said, I didn't make him happy, we were too different."

"Like him and Ziva," Tony injected, "So much for opposites attract," he snickered. "Why would you want them together?"

Abby shrugged as if she hadn't thought about it, "Ziva knows how close Timmy and I are, knows about our past and wouldn't feel threatened by it."

" _Timmy_ ," Tony mocked, "says that Peggy knows everything, that he tells her everything that happens between us."

"But he never talks about his work with his girlfriends," Abby replied in shock. "Even when we were together, he didn't say anything about the people he worked with in Norfolk. Half the things I knew it was because of you guys or someone there."

Tony shrugged, he had never really understood why McGee had felt it necessary to keep things separate. "According to Ziva they had been inseparable this weekend. He talked to her every morning _and_ night in their room."

Abby spun around in shock, "Ziva and Timmy shared a room?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "like anything would happen, both of them are seeing someone," he added, before explaining how the two came to share a room the first time and how Gibbs' had set up the same situation on this trip.

Tony frowned as another thought came to him, "Is that why you get all possessive when he starts seeing someone new?"

"I don't want to lose him."

"Yet you don't want him," Tony added, making Abby turn away, refusing to comment.

"You might want to face reality, Abs," Tony said softly. "I don't think McGee will easily let this one go."

Abby refused to comment, causing Tony to shrug. It was time he headed back upstairs anyway.

"Hey, Abby," he called as he reached the lab door, "I'm just wondering, if you and McGee are such great friends, best friends as you say, why hasn't he told you who he was seeing and how serious it is? Or even that he was seeing someone?"

* * *

"You okay, Ziva?" Tony asked, looking at the shivering agent. She had been extremely quiet today, not commenting, let alone threatening him when he once more called her boyfriend 'guy in tights'.

"Cold," she replied.

Tony stared at her, "You are cold or you have a cold?" he asked in confusion, right before Ziva sneezed.

"Seems like both to me, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he entered the bullpen and stood beside Ziva's desk.

Tony snorted, "I would've expected McGetaway to be sick due to the recent changes in temperature he experienced, not you," Tony stated before a look of horror overcame his face. "Unless he was sick and passed his germs to us." His gaze flitted between his two coworkers, "You did share a room with him, he probably breathed on you when blowing on his coffee to cool it down."

The team watched as Tony opened up his desk drawer and took out a can of disinfectant and started to wipe down his keyboard, phone and other surfaces on his desk, all the while glaring at Tim.

"I'm not sick, haven't been in over a year sick," Tim stated, glaring back at the older agent before he turned his worried gaze to Ziva, "You okay? Do you need anything? Medicine?" He had noticed that she had been quieter than usual, but had been so distracted by their conversation from the previous evening, he had figured she was just giving him his space.

She sniffled for a moment before hoarsely replying, "I am fine," and blowing her nose.

"No offense, but you don't sound fine," Tim replied, cautiously approaching her in case she was offended by his words. "Did you take anything?"

Ziva nodded, pointing to an over-the-counter cold remedy sitting on her desk

"Here, Probie, you might need this," Tony said, holding out the can of disinfectant. "And perhaps we should take a trip to autopsy to-"

"I do not need to see Ducky for a cold," Ziva injected, wincing as she croaked those words.

"borrow some surgical masks so the germs won't spread," Tony concluded.

Tim just shook his head at the offer. Standing beside her desk, he asked "Throat hurt?" and received a nod in reply.

"And head," she muttered, laying her head down on the desk for a moment. "And neck, and, the entire list is too long to recite…but I think my head is going to fall off," her voice muffled from talking into her desk. "I do not think those cold pills I took are working."

Tim smiled softly at her, wishing there was something he could do to make he feel better. As a thought came to him, he rubbed his hand across her back, trying to soothe her, "I'm gonna get you some tea, hopefully that will help your throat and warm you up."

"Thank you, Tim." She mumbled.

Gibbs just watched them for a moment before speaking up, "McGee, get back here," he ordered.

"Boss?" came the puzzled reply.

"Forget the tea," he began.

"But-"

"Get her home in bed," he ordered, receiving surprised looks from all three of his agents. "She's in no condition to drive, you live closest," he explained. "Think of it as repayment for the times she drove you to work."

"Yes, boss," Tim immediately agreed, shutting down his computer before heading to Ziva's desk to do the same to hers. Once that was done, he grabbed his bag, gathered up Ziva's belongings and began to escort her home.

"Change of plans," Gibbs said, looking at them, "Take her to Ducky first. Want to be sure that it's just a cold."

"Yes, boss," Tim replied, right before the elevator doors closed.

"You know, boss, I could've driven her home," Tony commented, watching his teammates leave.

Gibbs just smirked in reply and shook his head, before focusing on the reports at his desk.

* * *

10-13-18

I hope you enjoyed it, would love to know what you think...

Oh yeah, I updated my profile/bio, listing a brief summary of the other NCIS plot bunnies I am raising, wondering if anyone had a preference for which one was to be posted next...


	41. Friday Feb 27-Sunday Mar 1 Weekend (J41)

Not beta'd...don't own NCIS or characters (though I do have a hat)

* * *

Friday Feb 27-Sunday Mar 1 Weekend (J41)

* * *

Tony shook his head as he watched Tim, "Yesterday was a special occurrence," he informed the younger agent. He couldn't help but notice how distracted his partner was. For once, Tony was glad that they did not catch a case, since he wasn't sure McGee would be focused in the field.

"What?" Tim asked, not understanding what DiNozzo meant.

"You got to leave early because a coworker was sick. A coworker that lived closer to you than anyone else. That coworker needed help, since as the boss said, they were in no condition to see themselves home."

"I know that, Tony."

"Then why are you rushing through your work as if Gibbs would let you leave early again tonight?" he asked. "I actually think you should stay later to make up for the time you missed yesterday," Tony observed.

Tim just shook his head and continued with his work, though his eyes did stray to check the time more often than he would like to admit. He couldn't help but be worried about Ziva. Throughout the day he had texted her to see how she was feeling. The last time he did so was almost two hours ago and he still hadn't heard back. He knew that she was most likely sleeping, still he couldn't help but be concerned.

"You've been very quiet today, tell Uncle Tony what's going on?"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Nothing."

"You are awfully eager to leave tonight as well," Tony commented, staring at the younger agent.

"I, uh, errands to run," Tim offered as explanation.

"Yes, because everyone is that eager to go grocery shopping or pick up dry cleaning," Tony retorted dryly. "Now, tell Uncle Tony the truth, hot date with Peggy?

"Oh! Wait," he said, leering at Tim, "This was the weekend _she_ was planning the date, wasn't it? Was I right?" he eagerly asked. "Dinner at her house followed by dessert and breakfast?"

"I…no."

"No?" Tony repeated, disappointed. "Then what's the plan?'

"Nothing, there isn't one," Tim admitted. "She-something came up and she's unable to go out this weekend."

"Is she grounded or something?" he teased before turning serious, "Why are you in such a rush then?"

Tim stayed silent, not able to come up with an excuse.

"Oh, I see," Tony said knowingly. "The cats away so Timmy will play. You stepping out on her?"

"What?! No!" he denied, not noticing the smirk on Gibbs' face as he appeared next to the bullpen. "I wouldn't do that."

"Then where are you going?"

"I have an appointment," he stated, not meeting Tony's eyes, using the first excuse he could think of.

Tony stared at the agent next to him, his conversation with Abby replaying through his head. "Probie, no." Tony said firmly, seriously.

"I…what?" a confused Tim responded.

Tony eyed Tim, "I know you. I know what you are thinking."

"Tony,"

"Since she cancelled on you for the weekend, you are either thinking that you need to do something to prevent that from happening again, or take advantage of her absence by doing something that you _want_ to do, even though you know it's not the right time."

"I do-"

"And I'm not talking about a tattoo like you got for Abby," the Italian stated harshly. "I'm not sure which of those thoughts you had," he admitted, "hell, maybe it was a combination of both, but I know both of them led to the same thing.

"You have an appointment with a jeweler. You're going to buy a ring and propose."

Tim paled and sat down in his seat, too shocked by Tony's words to speak.

"Oh, god, I'm right," Tony muttered, also sinking into his chair. "I was really hoping I wasn't," he added, wheeling his chair over towards Tim's desk. "Probie, you have to see that if you do this, you will mess up any chance you have with Peggy. I don't know if she's the one," he admitted, "Especially since I've never met her and you haven't shared much about her," he pointedly added. "But I do know that it is too soon. You guys just started dating less than a month ago. Proposing is not a way to keep her from cancelling plans on you."

"Tony, I'm not buying a ring," Tim finally found his voice.

"Oh, good," Tony stated in relief, before another thought came to him. "Er, you don't plan on proposing using a family heirloom, do you?"

"Tony," McGee replied warningly.

"Tim," Tony mocked. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Everything's fine," Tim retorted. "Leave it alone."

"Sorry, Probie, no can do. Something is going on that has you being extremely secretive," Tony informed his partner, staring at him, as if searching for clues. "It's funny. Usually we know everything that is going on with you, while the girls you date don't even know what you do for a living. Abby pointed that out."

"You discussed this with _Abby_ ," Tim asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. And Ziva, and Ducky. Hell, I would've discussed this with Autopsy Gremlin if I thought he knew anything. See, this situation is very different than normal, you are being secretive with us, but telling _her_ everything."

"It is none of your business," Tim snapped, "and I can't believe you took it upon yourself to discuss this with everyone."

"Not _everyone_ ," Tony defended himself, causing Tim to roll his eyes.

"You shouldn't discuss this with anyone," Tim pointed out. "If I wanted you to know, I would just tell you."

"Please, Probie, like you would actually tell us anything," Tony snorted. "Look, we're worried, something major has to be going on for you to change not only your interactions with _us_ , but with _her_. Now, are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?"

Tim was silent, silently providing Tony with his answer.

"Fine, then, if that's how you want it. Hmm, you do have an appointment. Perhaps planned parenthood?" Tony smirked. "Are you preparing for a little bouncing baby McGee?"

Tim remained resolute, not bothering to speak or even look at Tony.

"Not yet? Okay then, my next guess is that it's with a doctor. Maybe you are having a little trouble getting to the point to practice _creating_ those little McGees? Is tha-"

"McGee, go," Gibbs ordered, inclining his head towards the elevator, while glaring at his Senior Field Agent.

"What?" Tim asked.

"Go home, Tim, get some rest, spend some time with your friend," he added. "I'll see you early Monday morning."

As Tim hurriedly shut down his computer, grabbed his bag, and ran out of the bullpen, Tony turned to Gibbs, "Why did you do that, boss? Something is obviously wrong."

"A better question is why did _you_ do that, DiNozzo?" he returned. "I thought I told you to lay off McGee's private life."

"What? I do it all the time," he defended himself.

"Doesn't make it right or acceptable," Gibbs replied, staring at him. He knew he missed a lot of what went on in the bullpen when he wasn't there, but if Tony's actions when he was there was any indication, Tim and Ziva were right about the torment comment. It was too late to order Tony to stop, after all, it's been six years, but he had hoped that Tony would take his advice, yet it appeared that he hasn't. There was only one thing left to say, "Just remember that actions have consequences," he stated as he sat at his desk, ignoring an open-mouthed Tony staring at him.

"Not doing anything and letting Probie destroy his life is going to have consequences as well," Tony muttered to himself as he thought about what could be wrong. He reviewed what he knew. Peggy cancelled their date this weekend, one she was suppose to plan. Probie was quiet and preoccupied all day. Said he had an appointment tonight, paled when Tony mentioned a jeweler, but denied he was buying a ring. With a groan, Tony realized what was probably going on. Probie and Peggy were fighting, perhaps had even broken up, Probie was gonna try to talk her into giving him another chance, most like with a gift in hand.

* * *

Last night, Tim had stopped by after work to check on her and bring her something to eat. Although she didn't feel much like eating, she had appreciated the gesture and had agreed to have some of the soup that he had made, claiming it was his mother's recipe, and had a special ingredients to help her feel better. Surprisingly, Tim would not admit what those ingredients were, and Ziva reluctantly admitted that she could not identify anything unusual about the soup. When she sleepily shared that information with Tim, he had simply reddened and shrugged, stating that she didn't need to know in order for it to work.

When Ziva fell back asleep almost immediately after, Tim felt weird staying in her apartment, however, he also didn't want to leave her alone. He knew he wasn't making any sense, since she had been alone all day, still, he couldn't help but worry about her. When she woke up a little before midnight, Tim handed her some medication, made sure she had some liquids, and said that once she fell back asleep, he would leave, but would call tomorrow to check up on her. Ziva protested that he didn't have to spend his day off doing so, but he hastened to assure her that he wanted to. Before the conversation could finish, Ziva was once more asleep and Tim had borrowed her spare key to lock the door after letting himself out.

The next morning, after running with Jethro, having breakfast, cleaning the kitchen and the rest of his apartment, Tim decided it was late enough to call Ziva without fear of waking her up at an unreasonable hour.

Ziva had quickly answered and had begged him to come over. She claimed she wasn't use to sitting around doing nothing and since she didn't believe she still required as much rest, would gladly welcome his company. Tim had immediately agreed, adding that he would stay for a few hours before he had to return to take care of Jethro. Ziva had quickly suggested that he bring the dog and anything he might need and stay for most of the day.

Once Tim had arrived with Jethro, Ziva immediately asked how everyone at work was. Tim had chuckled since she had only been out one day and that was spent with the team on cold cases. Ziva had replied, that it felt much longer to her. After playing with Jethro, Tim and Ziva had spent part of the afternoon playing scrabble and a few other games Ziva had on hand. Ziva had been quick to blame her losses on the cold medication she was still taking.

When Ziva had fallen asleep on the couch, Tim had carefully extracted himself and took Jethro out. Upon his return, he powered up his laptop and spent sometime making notes for his next book. While he would much rather use his typewriter, it wasn't available at the moment and he didn't want to forget the ideas he had thought of while tending to Jethro.

Ziva had woken up, but remained silent, glad to be able to watch Tim unnoticed. She especially liked the fact that he seemed to be working on his book and seemed to be enjoying doing so. She still felt bad when she realized how much her actions had hurt him when they learned about his hidden identity.

"Hey, you're awake," Tim said, noticing Ziva's opened eyes.

"I am more surprised that I slept," she replied. "After yesterday, I cannot believe that I am sill tired."

Tim smiled, "Obviously it's what your body needs."

"Actually," she replied, "I think my body needs food."

"You're hungry?" Tim replied with a grin. "That's a good sign. Oh" he realized sadly, "there's no more soup left, I gave you the last of it for lunch."

She frowned, "Did you eat?"

"Lunch, yeah, but haven't had dinner yet. What would you like?"

"Nothing too heavy," Ziva admitted. "Maybe some unseasoned chicken or rice?"

"I can do that," Tim replied eagerly, getting up. "You just stay here and re-keep Jethro company," he corrected when Ziva glared at him.

" _We_ can keep you company in the kitchen," she returned. "I told you, I think I rested enough."

Tim just shrugged and entered the kitchen.

"I have some chicken in the fridge, I had planned on using it for our date," she shared.

"You were going to cook for me?" Tim asked in surprise.

"I…I had thought about it," she admitted. "I know I promised something that would blow Tony away, but I wanted it to be something we both enjoyed and I know you appreciated the cooking lesson on Valentine's day, as well as when I made that pastry, so, I hoped…"

"It would've been perfect," Tim supplied. "Other than you and the tacos, I've never had anyone cook dinner for me before."

"No one?"

Tim shrugged, "Well, no one that wasn't family. None of my relationships really made it that point, though," he paused, scrunching his nose, "I have cooked for a few of them."

"Not even Abby?"

"Abby doesn't have time to cook, I'm not even sure if she knows how to cook. She goes straight from work to clubbing, to bed, and back to work, eating out on the way to one activity to another."

"I see."

"What do you want to do after dinner?" Tim asked, as he began preparing the chicken.

"I think I am all gamed out," Ziva replied, "Not that I was much of a challenge with this medication I am still taking."

Tim grinned, "I enjoyed it."

"Wise of you to savor your victories while you can. Once I am well, we will have a rematch, then we shall see who the winner really is."

"It's a date," Tim immediately agreed.

"Now we just need to figure out what to do for our date tonight," Ziva added. "Obviously, I really am not up to anything, not to mention how Gibbs will react if he finds out we went out this weekend while I was sick, especially if I am not 100 per cent on Monday."

"We don't have to do anything, and you are definitely not going out."

Ziva made a face before replying, "Too bad I don't have any movies. You could have told Tony that you spent the weekend at her place, had a home cooked meal."

Tim snorted, "That I cooked." He was glad he had his back to Ziva, as he was sure he was blushing, remembering the last conversation he had with the SFA.

"Details," Ziva waved her hand dismissively.

"If you really want to watch a movie, we can see if one is on tv," Tim reminded her.

"Ooh, good idea, let me do that," she said before exiting the kitchen and grabbing the remote for the television.

"Anything interesting?" Tim asked, standing in the doorway.

"So far, no," Ziva coughed and cleared her throat before continuing, "A few things look promising for later, but nothing on right now."

Tim nodded in understanding, as he returned to kitchen to check on dinner and get Ziva a drink.

"Ooh, what's this," she said, selecting something from the guide.

Tim smiled as he listened to a voice on the television provide an answer to a recent trivia question before asking another. Hearing a familiar song, Tim answered, "Glory of Love."

"That is one of the choices," she admitted, continuing a few minutes later. "And you are right, but I will only give you half a point, since they asked for title _and_ artist," she teased.

"They also gave choices," Tim reminded her. "No doubt I would have chosen correctly with it written out on the screen."

"Perhaps," Ziva admitted.

"If I guess the movie that they are playing, can I get full credit?" he teased in return.

"I suppose that would be fair," she replied. Tim could practically hear her smile in her words.

"Obviously the Karate Kid movies, I am going to go with the second one since that is the one the song is in."

"Correct. You redeemed yourself. Though I do not know what you will do with your points."

"I…" Tim blinked, "You're right, that was kind of pointless. Er, I mean," Ziva's laughter at his unintentional pun had him stop trying to explain himself.

"You know this movie?" She asked, once she calmed down.

"Yeah."

"Is it good?"

Tim shrugged as he returned to the living room, placing a drink in front of her. "It's good. Definitely better than the third. Some people like it one better than the first."

"And you?"

"I like them both," he admitted.

"The title intrigued me," Ziva admitted before bringing the guide up on the screen again. "It would be nice to watch, but not only has it already begun, but as you mentioned, it is part of a series. They should probably be watched in order."

"I…" Tim began only to fall silent.

"What?" she asked, turning to him.

"I was just wondering if I might be able to find a way for us to watch them in order."

"That would be nice," she agreed. "But it still does not help us with our dilemma for tonight."

"I meant tonight," Tim replied. "I can probably find them online to stream. And I can probably hook my laptop up to your television, so we can watch them on the larger screen."

"Really?" Ziva turned to look at him, "That sounds like a good plan to me. I will keep an eye on dinner, while you try to find them and set it up."

Tim nodded, already reaching for his laptop.

He had just finished connected the two devices when Ziva returned, carrying two plates of chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables.

"Okay, so I was able to find all three movies, we can attempt a mini marathon," he told her. "Don't worry if you fall asleep, I won't be offended, and we can always try this again, with better planning."

"All right," Ziva replied. "I will delay my medication as long as possible since that would most definitely knock me out."

They had already finished the first movie while eating dinner, and Tim, insisting Ziva remain resting on the couch, took the opportunity to clean up their dishes and put the leftovers away before starting the second film.

"This is nice," Ziva said softly, reclining on the couch.

"What is?"

"Just…this," she said, spreading her arms out to indicate the room. "Just relaxing, like this, not working, not worrying about putting on a show, just being us."

Tim stopped what he was doing and sat back down next to her, "Zee, we don't have to restart the plan," he began. "I made it through Valentine's Day, that's always the worst, we don't need to continue if it will make you uncomfortable or add stress to your life."

"Tim, no, that's not what I meant," she protested, laying a hand on his arm. "I am enjoying spending time with you outside of work, _really_ ," she stressed at his look of doubt.

"We can still spend time together without the plan," he offered. "We _are_ friends."

"I know," she smiled at him, "And I hope we do continue spending time together. I like that we are closer…as friends," she added hastily. "Never before have I felt so relaxed and comfortable with someone, so at ease, so free to be myself," she admitted. "All I meant was that I really enjoy it when it is just the two of us," she completed, smiling at him. "And Jethro, of course," she added when his dog started barking.

"Maybe I should have you walk him in between movies."

"Fine with me," Ziva agreed, rubbing Jethro's head when he trotted over to her, "He's a sweetheart."

Tim sighed, "You just love me for my dog," he retorted, stiffening once he realized what he had said. "Of course, you're still getting over being sick, so probably best that I walk him," Tim explained as he removed her hand from his arm and escaped, whistling for Jethro when he reached the door, the leash already in his hand.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Tim muttered to himself as he walked around Ziva's block with his dog. No doubt about it, he was in over his head. The more time he spent with Ziva, the more time he _wanted_ to spend with her. And considering the amount of time they were already together, well, some days the only time they weren't together is when they were sleeping.

Taking a deep breath, Tim reentered Ziva's apartment, removing the leash from Jethro who immediately went over to lay on the floor near Ziva. "Ready for the second movie?" he asked, as he sat down next to her on the couch again.

"Yes, though I do wonder what this one is about. In the first one, he learned Karate, beat the bullies, won a championship, and got the girl. What could he do to top that?"

Tim just laughed and started the movie, relaxing against the couch to watch it.

* * *

"I understand their dilemma," Ziva commented, as the second movie ended. Surprisingly, she had stayed awake through both films, though Tim suspected that would change.

Tim frowned, "Whose dilemma?"

"Those who cannot decide which movie they like better, they were both enjoyable," Ziva explained. "I really like the song in that last one."

"It's a good song," Tim agreed.

"I wish I could remember who sings it," she stated, glancing at Tim's phone when he held it up, showing her the artist's name and picture. "The scenery was beautiful as well. Have you ever been there?"

"Japan? No. You?"

"Yes. Fascinating culture," Ziva replied, before sharing a little bit of what she knew.

"You still up for the third movie?"

Ziva frowned at him, "We are talking, obviously I have not fallen asleep."

Tim indulged her with a smile, "I meant, are you still willing to watch the third one? I understand if you want to cut our marathon short, you must be tired."

"A little," she reluctantly admitted, "But as I said, I have slept so much these last few days, I should be able to last for another hour or so."

"Okay, then," Tim agreed, queuing up the movie. "But remember, if you need to sleep, go ahead and do so."

"I will be fine, though I should take another dose of medicine before it gets too late," Ziva replied, before doing so when Tim retrieved in for her. The two settled back on the couch as the opening credits began.

Tim smiled in Ziva's direction. The movie had barely started and she had already fallen asleep. He debated whether or not to leave, but decided he didn't want to disturb Ziva right now. Once asleep, she had unconsciously sought a more comfortable position, ending up with her head on the arm rest of the couch and her legs and feet strewn across Tim's lap. He would wait till the movie was over before trying to move without waking her.

* * *

"Are you sure you are all right?" Ziva asked Tim as he prepared to leave her apartment Sunday morning.

"I am fine. Probably just tired."

"You slept all morning," she returned. She had woken up early Sunday morning to Jethro gently licking her hand. At first she had been startled, but soon realized what was going on. Of course, that did not prevent her from being surprised that Tim had apparently also fallen asleep on the couch and had subsequently spent the night. Looking at Tim, she was surprised that he hadn't woken up when she had, especially since the actions of his dog had caused her to yelp in surprise. She had noticed that he seemed flushed and had become concerned when he did not wake, even after she had taken Jethro out and had dressed for the day.

After realizing that she was starving, she had begun making breakfast for the two of them, deciding that she would wake Tim once it was almost ready. When Tim had joined her in the kitchen for breakfast, she had noticed that he had eaten very little and that he still looked flushed. She had inquired about his health, wondering if perhaps he had caught her cold, but he had insisted he was fine.

She looked at him skeptically, "You are sure?" The team had only caught one case that week which was solved by Wednesday, and even though they had been out of town Monday and Tuesday for it, and had the stakeout that first night, they weren't longer days than normal.

"Yeah."

"Okay," Ziva reluctantly accepted his answer. "Go home and get some rest. I will pick you up for work tomorrow," she added.

"We going running?"

"Probably not," she said, looking at him shrewdly. "I do not want to do anything to set back my recovery and I believe the forecast tomorrow morning is for rain."

"Better than snow," Tim replied, as he hooked Jethro's leash to his collar and opened her apartment door.

"Thank you for the soup, and taking care of me this weekend," Ziva said softly before he could leave.

Ziva suspected Tim blushed at that, but since he still looked flushed, it was hard to tell for certain. "It was no problem. I'm just glad that you are feeling better."

"Call me if you need anything," Ziva reminded him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

He smiled at her, "I'll be fine," he assured before turning around to leave.

* * *

10-14-18

Anybody else get homemade soup with a special ingredient when they were sick?  
My grandmother also used to give me magical socks to make me feel better...hmm, I wonder if that's where my fascination with fuzzy socks and holiday socks began...

What's up with Tim?


	42. Monday March 2, (J42)

Not beta'd; disclaimer still applies.

* * *

3/2 Monday

* * *

The drive in was fairly silent. Ziva was now positive that Tim was not feeling well, but for some reason would not admit it. She only hoped that him keeping quiet about it would not cause any trouble if they caught a case.

They had been at work for a few minutes before Ziva decided to head downstairs to see Ducky. She had a feeling that Gibbs would want to make sure she was on the road to recovery, plus, she had a few questions she wanted to ask him.

After meeting with Ducky, she had one more stop to make before returning to the bullpen.

"Abby, can you help me with something?" Ziva asked as she entered the lab.

"Of course," Abby eagerly replied, giving the other woman her full attention. "Have questions regarding a cold case?"

"It is not work related."

"Oooh, personal," Abby grinned, "Even better."

"It is actually tech related, my phone to be exact," Ziva admitted before explaining what she wanted to do.

"Is this because of the boy toy?" Abby asked as she got to work, she wondered why Ziva had not asked Tim for help, but since it was such a sentimental thing, probably did not want to open herself up for teasing from the other agents.

"Boy toy?"

Abby shrugged, "Your boyfriend. You haven't said much about him or brought him around, so I figured it wasn't really serious. Just someone to pay for stuff and scratch the itch so to speak."

Ziva's mouth dropped open in shock and she felt a surge of anger on Tim's behalf that Abby thought that about him. It only took a minute for her to calm down and realize that Abby didn't _know_ she was talking about McGee. After taking a deep breath, Ziva quietly admitted, to both herself and Abby, "Actually, I think it could become very serious."

"Really?" The Goth squealed in excitement, giving her a hug. "That is so cool! Tell me about him."

Ziva hesitated, "I am afraid to curse it."

"Jinx it," Abby corrected. "And I understand. Sometimes when things are going well, you can't help but think it's going _too_ well. And the minute people know, they are always getting involved, offering advice, putting on pressure, sometimes that is what causes things to go bad."

"Yes, exactly!" Ziva agreed, glad that Abby understood and said so.

"Oh, I do," she emphatically nodded. "It happened with Timmy and I," she explained, shocking Ziva. "Things went well at first, I've never dated anyone like him. He made me feel special and precious, treated me like princess," Abby laughed. "Which was the last thing I thought I wanted, but he also let me be me. I knew he loved and cared for me as me, not who he thought I was or who he expected or wanted me to be."

"What happened?" Ziva asked curiously. Everything Abby had just shared was how she felt regarding Tim, maybe if she learned what happened, she could avoid making the same mistakes.

"Partly work, partly people at work. Tony never thought we were right for each other, was surprised when I agreed to meet Tim for lunch, shocked when a real date followed that weekend; flabbergasted, almost comatose when he found out that three weeks later we were still seeing each other," she smirked, "That was an added bonus," she grinned. "The distance was tough, but even tougher were Tony's and Kate's comments. Rather than let us figure things out on our own, they speculated and talked. Not just to each other, but to us as well. Mostly to me, since I was in the same building," Abby admitted, "But Tim was here at least once a month helping out with various cases, so I'm sure Tony said things to him.

"I think I started to do things to push him away, which was odd because I cared so much," Abby admitted. "I started doubting our relationship, that we could work, started doubting myself. I admit I'm not the best when it comes to change, but when Tim was added to Gibbs' team, I was happy. We told everyone we were friends at that point and we were, but we were still more. Tony, mostly to get to Tim, teasingly commented that we should relight the flame, and that Tim should move in with me rather than get an apartment of his own. That was too much, too fast for me. I couldn't handle it and we went to becoming just friends."

Ziva was silent for a few moments, "Do you ever wonder…"

A sad smile graced Abby's lips as she replied, "All the time," she softly admitted. "Especially after he gets his heart trampled on. I just want to go to him and pick up the pieces. But if it was meant to be, it would've happened by now."

"And his new girlfriend?" Ziva casually asked, wondering what Abby thought about this new development in Tim's life.

"She's not his girlfriend," Abby snapped, while Ziva raised her eyebrows noting that Abby's voice seemed to be tinted with jealousy. "Regardless of what Tony thinks, Tim says she's not, and he would know, so she's not. Timmy doesn't lie."

Ziva nodded, "Have you talked with him about her?"

A shake of the head, "I've heard a lot about her," she admitted, "But everything I heard about her, I got from Tony. Timmy has never mentioned her." She paused and looked at Ziva, a frown gracing her lips, "Both of you have been keeping mum about your new relationships. I heard a lot about yours from Tony as well."

Ziva smiled, "You know Tony, always talking. I do not know why Tim's keeping mum, but as I said, I am afraid to jinx it," she reminded her friend. "This relationship is becoming important to me. I really did not expect it to."

"Then why did you agree to date him?"

Ziva frowned, "What?"

"If you didn't expect anything from it, why date?" she asked. "I once had someone tell me that you marry the ones you date. That's pretty much true. If you are looking for a serious relationship, why waste time and energy on someone you don't see a future with?"

Ziva listened intently to Abby. Why did she agree to the plan? Actually, _she_ formulated the plan and pushed Tim into it, with her as the other lead. She also resisted all attempts by Tim to _end_ the plan. May be her mind knew something her heart was afraid to acknowledge?

"Ziva?" Abby's voice broke Ziva from her thoughts and after making excuses that she needed to report back upstairs, Ziva left. It was only later that Abby realized that Ziva had never talked about her new man.

* * *

She resolved to push he conversation with Abby out of her mind for now as she left the lab and entered the back stairwell. She decided it would be best to think about this past weekend instead. A smile graced her lips, she couldn't help but be in a good mood as she remembered how Tim had cared for her this past weekend. Without realizing it, she had softly started singing 'Glory of Love'. After Tim had left on Sunday, she had spent part of the day googling that song and the lyrics. She knew there was reason she had thought of Tim the first time she heard those words. To her, it represented Tim, and should be considered his theme song, that was, if people _had_ theme songs.

"I'm guessing that you are feeling better," Tony commented with a grin, once he realized what Ziva was doing.

"Much," she replied with a smile.

"Hmm," Tony hummed, "You're not dancing, so your weekend couldn't have been _that_ good."

Ziva frowned, "It was great."

"You were sick," Tony replied skeptically, wondering what had happened to enjoy her weekend so much. "Guy in tights surprise you with another ballet? Or the opera? Is that where the song is from?"

Tim and Ziva looked at him in surprised and exchanged looks.

"What?" he asked.

"That song is from a movie I saw with him over the weekend," Ziva replied, explaining their surprise. "That you did not know that…" she trailed off with a shrug.

"Hey," Tony shrugged, "I didn't hear the words,"

"I'm sure that's it," Tim smirked.

"She was closer to you," Tony pointed out, since she had used the back staircase, she had entered the bullpen between Tim's and Gibbs' desks. "Give me a break."

"Of course," Tim replied condescendingly.

Tony glared at him for daring to doubt him. "Ziva, sing some more, louder this time."

Ziva shook her head.

"Oh, come on, It's not like you have to worry about embarrassing yourself, like Probie, here. We _know_ you can sing."

"Might as well," Tim injected. "You know he's not going to stop until you do or he knows the movie."

Ziva rolled her eyes and knowing Tim was right, softly sang a few of her favorite lines, the ones that reminded her of Tim, without giving away the title of the song.

 _"…_ _like a knight in shining armor  
From a long time ago  
Just in time I will save the day  
Take you to my castle far away"_

Once she stopped singing, Tony frowned. He repeated the words softly, trying to place them.

"Well? Do you know the movie?" Tim asked.

"Like you know," Tony retorted.

"I know the song, artist," he said, looking at Ziva, "and the movie."

Wanting this to end before Gibbs returned to the bullpen, she continued, " _I am a man who will fight for your honor, I'll be the hero that you're dreaming of,"_

"Glory of Love!" He shouted in triumph, once he knew the song title. When Tim and Ziva both opened their mouths, no doubt to ask for the movie, he added. "Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off." Complete with hand motions.

Tim adds, "Don't forget to breathe, very important."

"McQuote!" Tony shouted gleefully, "Look at you, pop culture reference."

Tim shrugs, "I enjoyed those movies when I was in school."

Tony snickered, "Of course you did, they were about the misfit wimp who gets the girl. Probably what you wanted to happen to you during your high school years," he added with a grin. "I believe the song is from the second movie."

"It is," Ziva confirmed.

"The first two were good," Tony admitted with a shrug, "But, the last one wasn't all that special."

Ziva smirked, "I know, I fell asleep watching it. Of course, I _was_ still recovering from being ill."

Tony snorted, "I'm not surprised, especially since if you did a triple feature. I wouldn't have been surprised if he fell asleep as well."

"He did," Ziva confirmed with a grin.

"If you are done turning the bullpen into a Karaoke Bar," Gibbs began, only to get cut off by Tony.

"Oh! Good idea, Boss!" The SFA exclaimed, turning to his teammates. "You guys up for it?"

"I…maybe," Tim finally replied.

"Call the girlfriend and let me know," Tony ordered.

"Tony, I don't-"

"Just call her, McChicken."

* * *

"So, did you call her?"

"Who?" Tim asked absently, focused on the case in front of him.

"Peggy, the potential."

Tim frowned, "Wasn't the point of you calling her Peggy so that you wouldn't have to say potential girlfriend?"

"Whatever, "Tony waved his hand dismissively. "Did you? Did you ask about Karaoke? Can she sing? Have you heard her sing in the shower?" He asked.

"No, obviously not, yes, and yes." Tim responded.

"Huh?" Tony replied in a confused tone before he applied the answers to the questions asked in the same order. "Way to go, Probie."

"I didn't call her or ask her," Tim informed his teammate, wondering why Tony was so happy.

"Yeah, figured that out and we'll get to that in a minute. I'm talking about hearing her sing in the shower," he winked at Tim. "Did you spend the night at her place? Or did she spend it at yours?"

"Tony, we shared a hotel room together," Tim reminded his partner.

"Oh, right," the now depressed SFA replied. "Did you guys break up? Are you fighting?"

"I…no."

"You sure?" Tony asked.

"Yes, why do you think that?"

"You haven't called her to ask about Karaoke. I figure you would use any excuse to talk to her."

"She's working, _I'm_ working."

"It only would've taken a few minutes. Besides, I didn't want to mention anything," Tony admitted, looking at Tim, "But you look pretty bad, I figured the two of you were fighting. Especially since she blew you off last weekend. I mean, she promised you that she would plan your date and then," he paused an expanded his hands, "Poof! Nothing. Most likely she's mad at you about something."

"She's not mad. Everything is fine."

Tony nodded, "You guys having dinner tonight?"

"I…nothing was planned," Tim admitted. He knew that he and Ziva often ate together after work, but as he said, nothing has been said about doing so tonight.

"You're fighting."

"Tony, for the last time, we are not fighting."

"Than what other reason do you have for looking so bad?"

"I'm fine," Tim replied, not wanting to admit that he might've caught Ziva's cold. On the way home from Ziva's apartment yesterday, he had stopped at a pharmacy and bought vitamin supplements, and some medication that would _not_ make him drowsy or fuzzy headed. He was determined to get through this without showing any weakness.

"Uh-huh," Tony replied knowingly, smirking as he walked back to his desk, moments before Gibbs appeared.

* * *

"Hey, Abby,"

"Just the musketeer I was looking for," Abby greeted Tony.

"What's up?"

"I want everything you have on Peggy. We are going to solve this if it's the last thing we do."

"Peggy?" Tony repeated, racking his brain to figure out what case Abby was on.

"Timmy's girlfriend," Abby reminded him. "You called her Peggy on Friday, it didn't really register since I was so focused on the other half of your statement."

"Abs,"

"But then I remembered. You have to tell me what you know. When did Timmy tell you her name? Was it intentional or did it just slip out? I'm sure that you've run searches, have you found anything? Wh-'

"Abby," Tony interrupted, holding he shoulders to keep her focused so he could be sure that she listened to him. "Her name's not Peggy," he said before explaining the multiple reasons he had for using that name.

"Well that just ruins everything," Abby pouts.

"Don't worry, Abs, I'm sure we'll figure this out," Tony consoled before returning to the bullpen.

-/… SCENE 3/2 MONDAY, Ziva returns the favor

"I…did you want to stop for dinner?" Tim asked Ziva as she drove home later that night, remembering his conversation with Tony.

"Are you hungry?"

"I…no, not really," he admitted.

She snorted, "You should be, you barely ate any lunch."

Tim just shrugged before leaning back against his seat and closing his eyes.

"You do not have to feed me every night," she informed him softly.

Another shrug, "We both need to eat and it is more enjoyable with company."

"I agree, but I am thinking that we should make this an early night." At his inquisitive gaze, she continued, "Ducky said the best thing for a speedy recovery is liquids and plenty of rest."

Tim nodded, "Probably the best thing for you," he agreed.

She rolled her eyes glad that he wasn't watching her. "I am grateful we did not get a case. As annoying as Tony can be when we work cold cases, this rain today, would've made everyone sick. I can just hear the director if we all called out."

Tim snorted, "Like Gibbs and Tony would've called out."

"If they were sick, they would."

Tim shook his head, "Both of them come in when sick or injured. Tony came when he had the plague and Gibbs did the same even though he didn't remember everything."

"Gibbs was fine physically, and Tony was looking for sympathy and the attention."

"Still was at work," Tim stated.

* * *

10-15-18


	43. Tuesday, March 3, (J43)

Not beta'd; I do not own NCIS, or it's characters.

* * *

"How are you today?" Ziva asked, after picking up Tim.

"Fine," Tim replied. "And you?"

"Very well," she replied, looking over at Tim. "I have been thinking about Tony and the plan aga-,"

"What about it?" Tim asked hurriedly, his voice tinted with worry. "Do you not want to continue it, I understand completely and that is fine. We haven't actually done much, so it would be fairly easy to-"

"Stop," Ziva ordered, glaring at him, causing Tim to go silent for a few moments. "First, that is what I was thinking,"

Tim frowned and looked away, "You do want to end it? You've found someone you really want to date," he speculated.

"No," she protested vehemently. "I just think that we need to talk about it."

Tim took a deep breath, "Okay, we can do that," mentally adding, 'and I'm not going to freak out, regardless of what she says' as he mentally prepared himself for the worse case scenario, "Just say what you need to, honesty, remember?"

Ziva nodded, "I…we…you…we are not doing a good job of teasing Tony about our relationship," she finally said. "The plan was to drop hints about each other, mention the times we've been together, running, dinner, movies, other outings. We have done all those things, still are, even mentioned them to Tony, but we-"

"Give no hint that the other was there," Tim finished. "You mentioned the ballet, I said I was at the theatre, Tony automatically thinks movies, and I didn't correct him. He asked if we went _out_ after work for dinner, you say no, I said I ate take out at home. I mentioned I was away at an amusement park in Florida, you say nothing about your weekend."

"Exactly," Ziva nodded in agreement. "The slightest remark from us could have had him on the end of the line, yet neither of us started that."

"We still could," Tim offered.

"Can we?" she asked in a serious tone. Tim looked away, not answering. "It has already been a month. He is curious about 'Peggy'," she said, both of them grinning at the nickname. "More importantly, do we want to?"

The two fell silent, thinking about the unintentional changes in the plan.

"I am enjoying the fact that Tony does not know," Ziva admitted. "What I am saying and doing seems so natural, that it does not feel like an act at all."

"So what do we do? What do you want to do?" Tim asked.

Ziva shrugged, "The way I see it, we have a few options: One, as you suggested we start dropping hints that we've spent those times together, might make Tony suspicious that it's not real, since we've done a good job keeping it out of the office; Two, we begin anew, _again,_ " she grinned, "And talk about times we will be together; Three, we continue as we are and wait until April Fool's to end this, perhaps come up with some elaborate scene for him to discover everything; or Four, we stop spending time with each other and-"

Tim had to fight every instinct not to shout 'No!' in protest, before blushing and calming down. "If that is really what you want, then, yes, of course," Tim stated agreeably, "But I don't want to," he admitted. "Even if we end the plan, I want to continue spending time with you, you have become a good friend," Tim added, blushing as he shared his thoughts.

"Same here," Ziva replied. "It has been a long time since I have really had a friend, someone to be myself with, not having to hide things, or act a certain way…since Tali," she added softly, eyes remaining focused on the road ahead.

"Zee," Tim whispered softly, reaching out for her hand.

"It is okay," Ziva said, turning to give him a smile, "In fact, I think it is a good thing."

Tim nodded. "Um, you said first, was there a second?"

Ziva hesitated.

"I'm your friend, remember," Tim encouraged, "You can tell me anything."

"I...the second didn't come up until you responded to my words."

Tim frowned, "What do you mean?"

Ziva took a deep breath, "I mentioned that I wanted to talk about the plan, and you immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was something bad. That does not seem like you. At work, you are always positive and optimistic about our cases. Whenever something happens to someone else, you are the first to encourage them that things might not be that bad, that the worse case scenario might not occur."

Tim thought about her unspoken question. "I guess there are two reasons for that. One, I don't expect things to go well for me. I see my life, and know how challenging it has been, not the easiest or the best, but definitely not the hardest either, it just is. I know things can be much worse. I don't want to hope, because I am afraid of being disappointed, afraid that if I let myself hope and it doesn't come to be, that I will be crushed. The second thing is that I think too much," Tim admitted, not shocking Ziva with his admission. "I know the odds of things, am able to calculate them in my head. I also am a believer in our subconscious actions," he admitted. "Why we say or do the things we do. When somebody says something, I can't help but analyze all the different ways their words could be meant, usually skipping over the simplest meaning and reading things into it that they ever intended." he admitted. "The two go hand in hand."

Ziva blinked, she hadn't expected that. "You know you deserve good things to happen," she replied. "Aren't you the one who told me that _everyone_ deserves love?"

Tim shrugged, "Easier to say than to believe," he replied, grateful that they had pulled into the Navy Yard and that the conversation would end.

* * *

"If Tim and the potential stop fighting and he finally asks her about Karaoke, are you and your boy toy in?" Tony asked Ziva later that morning when Gibbs stepped out of the bullpen.

"Tim told you they were fighting?" Ziva asked in shock, glancing towards the agent who had his head down and refused to look up. Was he wanting to end the plan? Was that the real reason he had jumped to that conclusion? Perhaps he was preparing Tony for a break up? Was that why he was avoiding her this morning?

"He didn't have to," Tony shrugged, "It's obvious. First she blew him off for the weekend, after promising to plan their date, then he came in on Monday looking terrible, still does, actually," he continued, frowning and shooting a worried glance at the agent in question before continuing with his explanation. "Trust me, he did _not_ spend the weekend writing no matter what he said, he probably spent it trying to figure out what he did wrong."

She frowned, "He didn't tell you he was writing, said he spent it relaxing," Ziva reminded her partner.

"Does he look well rested?" Tony snorted, waving a hand in McGee's direction, "Besides, I highly doubt he could relax with them fighting."

"Tony, you have no proof," she stated, knowing that Tony's words was just him jumping to conclusion. She had to stifle a snort, it seems like both her partners fell into that trap.

"He still looks bad, and told me that he hadn't talked to her about Karaoke. I'm sure that means that he hadn't talked to her at all, since it would take, what, five seconds to ask about that?"

Ziva frowned, realizing that neither one had mentioned Tony's Karaoke bar suggestion. "Maybe she had to work or had a bad day?"

"He also told me that she cancelled for the weekend," Tony pointed out.

"So?"

"So?" Tony repeated. "What possible reason would he have for not seeing her this last weekend unless they were fighting, unless she told him that she didn't want to see him? Sickness, having to work all weekend, family emergency," Tony speculated, "All of those can be dealt with. He could've helped her by bringing her a care package, dinner, supporting her emotionally with a shoulder to cry on, anything a boyfriend would do, but he didn't. Add that to the fact that she cancelled their plans, _something came up,_ " he mocked. "And they are either fighting or have broken up."

"Tony," Ziva began when Tim remained silent.

"You were _sick_ , yet still spent time with your boy toy."

"Do not call him that," Ziva snapped, noticing how Tim flinched at his words. "He contacted me. He saw me on Thursday and knew I wasn't well, then he stopped by again on Friday after work, brought me home made soup, his mother's recipe," she added with a smile, "Called me on Saturday, and I asked him to come over, since I wanted the company. He did, made sure I had lunch and dinner, and arranged for us to watch some movies."

Tony stared at her.

"What?" Ziva asked when the SFA continued to stare, not saying a word.

"I'm just realizing how serious your relationship with him is."

"Because I won't let you call him my boy toy?" she asked with a laugh.

"Noooo," he dragged out the word. "First, because he wanted to take care of you while you were sick, even went so far as to make his mother's homemade soup, guys don't share that type of thing with just anyone," he replied, looking at Tim, "Right, McGee?"

Tim just shrugged, looking intently at the folder in front of him.

Tony shook his head and continued, "But mostly because of you. Because _you_ allowed him to take care of you. Allowed him to see you when you weren't at your best, not even close if your condition on Thursday afternoon was any indication. Because you _like_ it when he plans surprises for you, even though you hate surprises. Because you trust him, not like you trust us to have your six, but you _trust_ him. Because he once compared your driving to Cruella De Vil, and not only is he still alive, but you are still seeing him romantically."

Ziva shrugged and turned back to her computer, not sure what to say.

"Must be love," Tony snickered, not noticing how his teammates both stiffened at his words, or Gibbs, who was standing right outside the bullpen, kept his eyes on his agents, waiting for something to happen. "Either that or you were in an accident because of your driving and your brain is scrambled."

Gibbs shook his head and entered the bullpen, making sure his hand made contact with the back of Tony's head on the way.

"Thanks, Boss," he called to Gibbs' back, before deciding to drop the topic while he was still alive.

Gibbs took a deep breath as he looked at his team.

Tony pointedly kept his gaze off of his teammates. His last comment made it obvious that he believed Ziva's relationship was serious. Gibbs only hoped that once the plan was revealed that his team wouldn't be destroyed.

Tim remained with his head down, determined not to meet anyone's eyes. Afraid that he had ruined things with Ziva. Tony's words had showed him how he had messed up, how he had been too eager to care for Ziva while she was unwell. Yes, he did things a friend did, but perhaps he did more? How Gibbs wished he knew what Tim was thinking, feeling. In the past, it was easier to guess McGee's thoughts and feelings, but lately, he was being very careful not to reveal anything, could that small change be what destroys the team?

Ziva stared at Tim, obviously thinking about what Tony had said. Tim really had been there for her while she was sick and because of it, had most likely made himself ill. As his friend, she was determined to do the same for him. Gibbs noticed that Ziva came to a decision about something. He could only hope that whatever it was, it didn't blow up in her face, and ruin the team.

* * *

"Do not worry about dinner," she told him. "Now that I am better, I am going to return the favor."

"Ziva, you don't have to," Tim replied. "I am sure you have better things to do, especially since you were sick last weekend."

"I know I do not have to, I want to," she insisted." And I have everything planned out," she added, before observing, "Traffic is a bit backed up. Feel free to lean back and relax. I promise that I will get you home safely."

"I know you will," he replied before following her suggestion.

Tim woke to Ziva gently shaking his shoulder. Not only had they arrived at his apartment, but she had parked the car, exited, and opened the passenger door before waking him.

"Timothy, we are home" she said softly when he opened his eyes.

"Oh, thanks," he said, exiting the car once she stepped away.

"I can get that," she said, reaching for his bag.

"Ziva,"

"It is fine," she replied, glaring at him. "Now, let's get you upstairs and get some food into you."

"Ziva,"

"Go," she said, gently nudging him forward as she locked her car. Once they entered his apartment, she continued, "I will walk Jethro while you go change."

"Z-"

"Do not argue," she ordered. "I know that you caught my cold. You took care of me, it is only right that I do the same. Now, get changed and either lay on your couch or in bed. We will be back soon," she added, grabbing Jethro and his leash.

As soon as she returned, she looked for Tim to make sure he had followed her instructions. Walking by the couch, she gently caressed his head before retreating to the kitchen to finish dinner for the two of them.

"Tim, time to wake up," she said, once more gently shaking his shoulder.

"I'm awake," he replied groggily, causing her to smile.

"Think you can sit up and eat?"

"Not really hungry," he muttered, eyes still close.

"I know, but try…for me," she added pleadingly. "I doubt that you have eaten much in the last few days, and I know you didn't eat much today. You need something in your stomach."

"Fine," he agreed, reluctantly sitting up and reaching for the bowl she handed him.

Ziva smiled at him before moving to the other end of the couch and picking up the second bowl for herself.

After one spoonful, he paused and looked at her.

She frowned, "Is it okay? I thought it tasted right."

"Ziva, what is this?" he hesitantly asked.

"Chicken soup," she replied honestly.

Staring at her, his voice shaking, he asked, "From a can?"

"No," she replied, not wanting to say anything else. The silence stretched between them, neither one eating or turning away.

"It is homemade soup," she added, hoping he would leave it at that.

"Ziva?" he questioned.

"Your mother's recipe," she admitted.

"I…how? You made this? Where did you get the recipe?" he asked in shock.

Ziva looked away, hoping he would not be too upset with her. "Your sister," she admitted, remembering that conversation.

 _"Sarah McGee." His sister said as she answered her phone._

 _"Sarah, this is Ziva David, I work with T-"_

 _"Oh my God! Tim! Did something happen? Is he okay? Where is he? What happened?"_

 _"No, no, he is fine," Ziva hastened to reassure her._

 _"Then why are you calling? Um, no offense," Sarah added politely._

 _"I was hoping to surprise your brother and need your help to do so."_

 _"What kind of surprise?" Sarah asked suspiciously._

 _"I was sick last week, your brother made me your mother's homemade soup, I-"_

 _"He did?!"_

 _"Yes," Ziva confirmed, puzzled as to why she sounded so surprised and pleased. "Now he is sick and would like to return the favor, but I do not have the recipe."_

 _"I am sure any recipe would work," Sarah informed her._

 _"No, no," she denied. "It has to be your mother's. Tim told me that it had a special ingredient that would make me feel better. I am sure it will work the same for him."_

 _"I…did he tell you what the ingredient was?" Sarah asked curiously, a smile gracing her face._

 _"No," Ziva pouted. "And I could not recognize anything unusual in the soup."_

 _"Many people don't, until they learn of it," his sister had replied happily. "But I am sure he used it with you."_

 _"Yes, yes, as am I," Ziva agreed impatiently, she didn't doubt that for a moment, "but that does not help me with my dilemma."_

 _"Hmm."_

 _"Can you tell me the recipe, including the special ingredient?"_

 _"I do not know if Tim would like me to do that," Sara finally replied._

 _Ziva frowned, "I would think you would be more concerned about your mother, it is her recipe," Ziva replied._

 _Ziva could practically see the smile on Sarah's face as she replied, "I think she would be happy that you called to ask for it."_

 _"So you will do it?"_

 _"I really don't think Tim would like it if I did," Sarah repeated._

 _"But it is for him, to make him feel better."_

 _"I know, and that is the only reason why I am thinking about telling you."_

 _"I promise I will not tell anyone else."_

 _Sarah snorted, wondering how Tony would react if Ziva told him that she made Tim soup where the special ingredient was love. That right there was worth telling Ziva. Of course, since Tim hadn't mentioned anything to her about the two of them seeing each other, and since Ziva admitted that he hadn't told her what the special ingredient was, she had a feeling Tim would kill her if she mentioned it to his partner._

 _"Sarah," Ziva pleaded._

 _"I…I can't," she finally answered._

 _"Oh." Ziva replied softly, heartbroken at the answer, but realizing that that was Sarah's right. "Okay, then, I understand. Goodbye."_

 _"Wait! Ziva, wait," Sarah cried, hoping her brother's_ ** _friend_** _, hadn't hung up yet._

 _"Tim is fine," Ziva repeated, thinking that Sarah was seeking reassurance. "I believe that he has caught my cold."_

 _"I believe you," she said. "You know, Tim never makes that soup for himself when he's sick, and I don't think he has made it for anyone but-" she broke off, realizing what she was about to say._

 _"Anyone but…" Ziva prodded._

 _"Doesn't matter, it was a long time ago," Sarah replied after a moment's pause. "Um, what time do you think you guys will leave work tonight?"_

 _"It depends on if we catch a case," Ziva responded, puzzled by the question.. "If we do, we could be here all night or at the earliest 2200, if we do not get a case, about 1800."_

 _"But Tim's sick," his sister argued._

 _"And he is not telling anyone and doing a very good job of hiding his symptoms."_

 _A pause, "Then how do you know he's sick?"_

 _"The other day I noticed that he was very flushed an-"_

 _Sarah snorted, "Please, he was probably blushing, he gets embarrassed very easily."_

 _"I am aware of that," Ziva confirmed, "But he was asleep at the time. He did not wake easily, not even me extracting myself and taking Jethro out managed to rouse him. Then he barely ate any of the breakfast I had prepared. Yesterday he was running late for work, which is also very unlike him, signaling something unusual. He has little appetite and has not eaten much these last few days. Oh, and has been surreptitiously taking medications as well."_

 _More silence between them as Sarah tried to process what she heard. Tim was sleeping with Ziva, was the only thing running through her mind._

 _"Sarah? Is there anything else?" Ziva asked, breaking the silence when Sarah didn't speak._

 _"Ah, yeah, I can't give you the recipe,"_

 _"I know and I do understand," Ziva interrupted._

 _"But I can buy the ingredients, begin the soup, and leave it at Tim's for you to finish."_

 _"I…thank you," Ziva replied gratefully._

 _"Just take care of my brother," Sarah replied before the two worked out the logistics and ended the call._

"Sarah. You talked to Sarah." Tim said, dropping his spoon and making it clang against the bowl in his hands.

"Yes."

"I…did she give you the recipe? Tell you the special ingredient?"

"No," Ziva answered, causing Tim to sigh in relief and Ziva to wonder what the big deal was. "However, she did offer to buy everything and begin the soup, leaving it here for me to finish."

"Good, good," Tim nodded absently.

"If it is so good, perhaps you will eat it?" Ziva asked, pointedly looking between him and the bowl in his hands.

"Oh, yeah, I will," he said, meeting her gaze. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You are most welcome," she responded, smiling at him.

* * *

10-17-18

I liked Ziva & Sarah's conversation...Hope you all did as well.


	44. Wednesday Mar 4, Lunch Date (J44)

Not beta'd; Disclaimer applies: I do not own and am not making any money from this

* * *

March 4, Wednesday, Lunch Date

* * *

"Hey, Abs," Tony greeted as he entered the lab. "Why did you want me to meet you so early this morning?" he asked. The scientist had texted him last night and asked him to come in early and head straight to her lab.

"I have a theory," she to announced.

"As long as you didn't call me down here to hear about McGeeva," a quick frown passed Tony's face as he corrected, "McGee and Ziva."

"McGiva," Abby repeated with a grin. "That would be a cool nickname if they ever became a couple."

Tony rolled his eyes, "It's not true."

"I know," Abby admitted. "They're close, closer than they used to be, but-"

"But you can't see them together?" Tony interrupted to ask.

"But the pieces don't fit," Abby completed.

Tony frowned, "What do you mean?"

Abby smirked, "Think about it. Can you really see Timmy at the ballet? Or arranging a personal cooking class with a world renowned chef for Valentine's Day?"

Tony snorted, "Please, he was going to cook dinner for his date at his place until I stepped in."

Abby chortled, "Plus can you see Ziva sending those gifts he received on Valentine's Day? Or at an amusement park?"

Tony tilted his head in agreement, Ziva definitely did not seem the frivolous amusement park type. "Okay, enough about our romantically challenged Probie. What's this theory of yours?" he asked.

"You know I never share my theories," she jested. "I prevent the evidence and let you come to the right conclusion on your own," she stated, leading him to the evidence table.

"Abs…" he hesitatingly began as he took in the evidence spread out on the table before him, unsure how to continue.

She glared at him before beginning her presentation. "First, Timmy's car," she said, holding up toy Porsche, "He did not have it for over a week, so why didn't his girlfriend ever pick him up or drop him off? Mornings might have been an issue, if she worked at the same or similar time and not close to the base, but evenings? Especially those evenings he either worked late or was supposedly meeting her for dinner? Gibbs gets rides from his girlfriend, sometimes even from crime scenes!"

"I…it was a new relationship," Tony offered, "I don't think they began dating until that last week."

"Two," she continued, ignoring Tony's explanation and indicating the unbarbie like doll. Tony took in the disproportioned head, mutilated haircut, ugly clothes and poor make up job and shuddered. "Nothing was said about her, no name, no occupation, where she lives, how they met, _nothing_ ," she stressed.

Tony didn't say a word. He also thought it was strange how quiet McGee was about her. Not even mentioning her first name, definitely qualifies him as being secretive or paranoid.

She pointed to the menu for the restaurant Tim went for Valentine's Day, "Three, he has pictures of himself with the chef, no girlfriend in the picture, just himself? Who does that if they were there on a date?" she rhetorically asked.

Tony opened his mouth only to quickly shut it again when Abby glared at him. Okay, apparently she doesn't want him to talk right now. Of course, he probably should have figured that out since she did ignore his first rebuttal.

"Four, his phone log," Abby stated, waving around some paper. "There are only a few unknown numbers, none of them called often enough to indicate a serious relationship. He did receive some calls where the numbers where encrypted," she reluctantly admitted, "But not enough to be from someone he was in a relationship with.

"Five, GPS on his phone indicates that for the past month he has mostly been at home, work, or the occasional restaurant. No other location was listed more than twice."

"Six," she began, for once not indicating or holding supportive documents or representative item in her hand, "Timmy can't lie, doesn't like to lie. Books, sisters, he didn't lie, just didn't say anything. He states he doesn't have a girlfriend, so therefore, he _doesn't have a girlfriend_ ," Abby emphasized, "Most likely not even someone he is seeing," she added.

"Conclusion? Timmy's mystery girl doesn't exist," she announced gleefully.

Tony remained silent, while he too had pondered the existence of McGee's friend, at least at first, he couldn't believe she went to this much work. And obtaining his phone records and his GPS? For her sake, he really hoped Gibbs and McGee never find out. Shaking his head, he finally replied, "You really think Probie went to a five-star restaurant on Valentine's Day by himself? And what about the balloons he received? He was surprised. No way he sent those to himself. As for the phone, maybe he got a second one for personal use."

Abby frowned and shook his head, "And not give us the number to his new phone?"

"You know how he can be about privacy," Tony just shrugged, he couldn't imagine McGee doing that, but perhaps he doesn't know Tim like he thought he did.

"Okay, so maybe she existed at one point," Abby reluctantly admitted. "And as friends, they agreed to make Valentine's Day special for each other, then went their separate ways."

Tony snorted, "No guy would spend that much money if they didn't think or hope the 'ship had a future."

"Maybe he thought it did, or hoped for it," she argued. "Wouldn't be the first time he misread signals."

"Like with you, you mean?" Tony commented. "And did he really misread those?" he asked, taking another look at the evidence.

"This isn't about me," she protested, not answering his questions.

Tony just lifted an eyebrow, he was beginning to think it was. Of course, that didn't mean that Abby didn't have a point.

"Timmy didn't tell anyone about the break up because of the big deal it seemed to become. He knew you would tease him and his heart was bruised, perhaps even broken" she offered sadly before declaring, "I'm telling you, she doesn't exist."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Tony stated, leaving the lab to head back upstairs, not sure what to make of Abby's theory.

* * *

Before Ziva left Tim's apartment the previous night she insisted that she drive. It was earlier than normal when she arrived that Wednesday morning, but since Tim had been running late the last few days, she decided to make sure that he had time to shower, change and eat before they left. While he finished getting ready, she walked Jethro and prepared some toast for breakfast, Tim had insisted that he wasn't really hungry, but Ziva was determined to make sure he ate something. She also packed a bowl of the soup for him for lunch telling him that the special ingredient will help him get well. She was quite curious about why that would make him blush, before deciding that he was probably feverish one again.

Once inside the car, Tim took advantage of Ziva knowing he wasn't feeling well and leaned back, closing his eyes. While he did not fall asleep, he knew he would need this time in order to keep focused and hide how he was feeling from the rest of the team.

It wasn't long before the two were seated at their desks. Once Tony came in, Tim could feel the SFA's eyes on him throughout the morning. He only hoped Tony didn't do or say anything too annoying. Tim knew he wasn't at his best right now and would have a challenging time keeping a handle on his emotions.

* * *

"C'mon, McGee," let's go to lunch," Tony said, standing up.

"Tony, I brought my lunch today," Tim replied, indicating the bag sitting on top of his desk.

"I can tell how eager you are to eat another salad, it's been sitting there for an hour," Tony commented.

"I got distracted," Tim replied, not to mention, not really feeling hungry.

"Well, it lasted that long, it'll keep a bit longer, besides, you need manly food. And sunshine."

"Tony,"

"Tim," Tony mocked, "I'll even buy."

"Right," Tim snorted, "Not falling for that."

"Falling for what," Tony asked in confusion.

"You saying you'll buy only to discover that you 'forgot' your wallet when we go to pay. You've done that at least three times."

"I…" Tony stopped and took his wallet out, stretching out his hand towards Tim. "Here, you can hold onto it until we get to the restaurant."

"Tony," Tim began, only to catch sight of Ziva behind Tony, mouthing 'go'.

"Probie, come. Apparently I owe you a lunch or two," Tony spoke when Tim went silent.

"Fine," Tim replied, "But we're, _I'm_ driving. It's too cold to walk to where I want to go."

"It's a gorgeous 60 degree day, but fine," Tony commented as he headed to the elevator.

Tim rolled his eyes as he stood and grabbed his bag. As he passed Ziva's desk, she handed him her keys, "Enjoy. And bring me back a Greek salad."

* * *

"Why do you do that?" an exasperated Tony asked. The two men had only been in Ziva's car for a few minutes, but already Tony had tried to begin multiple conversations, only to be shut down by Tim.

"Do what?" A genuinely confused Tim responded.

"Not talk."

Tim frowned, "One, because you talk enough for ten people, and Two, Gibbs doesn't talk and you don't hound him about it."

"One," Tony replied, mocking Tim, "I talk because others don't, or rather, _won't_ , and as a way to get others to feel more at ease and to talk and Two, you're not Gibbs. And I don't think you want to be known as a functional mute."

Tim couldn't help but smirk at this description of their boss. It did seem to fit. "I know I'm not him, and I'm not trying to be. I just don't see why I need to talk if I don't want to."

"How else do you expect a friendship to develop?"

Tim just turned to Tony and lifted an eyebrow before turning back to watch the road.

"What?"

"Nothing," Tim replied.

"That look meant something," Tony retorted. "Now tell me."

"It's not really work related, so I don't have to," Tim replied stubbornly.

"You said not really work related, so that means that it partly is."

"Not necessarily."

"McGee, just tell me. You know you're going to give in anyway," Tony chided.

"Fine. How can you possibly think a friendship can develop if everything I say or do is subject to ridicule?"

"Oh, come on, Probie, it's not that bad."

Tim shook his head as he pulled into a parking spot by one of his favorite delis. "Really? You think that?" Tim asked as he shut the car door. Part of him, really wanted to slam the door, but he knew it wasn't the car's fault he was upset.

"Yes."

Tim met Tony's eyes for a moment, "A month ago I asked to speak with Gibbs privately. For the next _week_ , all I heard from you and Abby were comments about what it was regarding."

"Hey, we were just concerned about you," Tony said in defense.

"Really? Talking about me having a rash is being concerned? Teasing me about said rash is concern? Abby faking an excuse to get me alone in her lab to find out what I needed to talk to Gibbs about was concern?"

"Yes."

"No," Tim vehemently denied. " _That_ is being nosy, especially since I already said it was private. You should've taken that as a sign for you to leave it alone. And being concerned would be _asking_ if I was okay. Asking if there was anything I needed or anything you could do to help. It is not trying to corner me in a lab, an elevator, or a car to get the answers to questions you don't have the right to ask."

Tony looked around and noticed the stares of other patrons on them. "Wait here," he said. "I'll order our sandwiches and be right out, you want your usual sandwich?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, thanks, and can you get Ziva a Greek salad, please?"

"Sure," Tony replied as he entered the building. Thankfully they were a bit late for the lunch rush, so the line wasn't too long. After quickly placing the order, he turned and watched Tim through the window. The younger man paced back forth between the deli and his car. Part of Tony was wondering if Tim was tempted to leave him there. It would be a pain to get back to the Navy Yard, but it was doable, he realized. Still, watching Tim, he honestly didn't know what his teammate was thinking. He knew a lot went on in that big brain of his, and usually you could read what was going on by his expression, this time, however, Tony didn't have a clue. He had no idea how to proceed.

"C'mon," he called Tim as he exited the deli, bag and drink tray in hand. "We can eat at the park."

"Tony, I grant you that it's warm, but it's not that warm."

"We'll be fine," Tony reassured him. "If it gets too bad, we can come back to the car. Besides, I got us coffees to help keep us warm."

"Fine," Tim agreed as they walked the half block to the local park. After distributing the sandwiches, chips, and coffees, Tony looked at Tim.

"You really don't think I, we care?"

Tim was grateful that he had just taken a bite of his sandwich as it gave him an excuse not to talk right away and an opportunity to think for a few moments. "I think you care more about being amused and entertained than you do about me," he answered honestly.

"And Abby? You seriously expect me to believe that she doesn't care about her Timmy?"

Tim gave a forced smile, "I don't know if I was ever really _her_ Timmy. She might call me that at times, but not because she really means it."

Tony looked at him in shock. "What?"

Tim shrugged, "Think about it, when have you heard her refer to me that way? Usually when something positive happens to me, at most other times, I'm usually McGee, especially when she's mad at me, which happens more with me than anyone else."

"Well, yeah," Tony agreed to that last part, "But I just figured she was always mad at you or so easily mad at you because you two knew each other so well," he commented, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Why do you do that?" Tim asked in annoyance. "Why does everything come back to sex with you? Yes, Abby and I had a _brief_ relationship that ended years ago, but that is no reason for you to continually mention it."

"No, but the fact that the two of you are still partly in love does."

"I am not in love with Abby," Tim hissed, "And I seriously doubt she is in love with me. Hell, sometimes, I don't even think she likes me or that I like her. Nor can I really consider her a friend."

"Whoa, calm down, there," Tony advised. "What do you mean by that?"

Tim fell silent, "Nothing, it's personal."

"And there you go again," Tony muttered, earning a glare from his fellow agent. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because this is none of your business. It won't interfere with work, and I refuse to discuss this and have it end up around the yard as scuttlebutt."

"Hey!"

Tim shook his head, "Don't deny it. You know you won't be able to help yourself. Anything I say can and will be used against me, especially by you. You seem to live to torment me. That's why I don't _talk_ to you, don't tell you anything, don't want to wor...You ready to head back?" he asked suddenly, standing up and gathering the remainder of his lunch.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Tony agreed as he did the same, automatically following Tim to the car, as he wondered what Tim was about to reveal.

* * *

"Are you feeling any better?" Ziva asked, breaking the silence on the drive home that evening. Ever since Tony and Tim had come back from lunch, both of them had been quiet. Too quiet. Ziva was sure that Gibbs was worried about the two agents as well.

"Ziva, I'm fine."

"You have been _fine_ all week, but I know that you are sick," she retorted. "Why do you think I made that soup? You should have taken a day off."

"I didn't need to, I'm fine."

"And I am thankful we have not caught a case this week. Although if we had, that would have meant contact with Ducky," she added as an afterthought.

"Why?"

She frowned, "Because he is the medical examiner. Of course, we only have contact with him if our case involves a body," she added, before realizing that Tim was not referring to that with his question. "The case because you would be much worse if we were working 15 hour days with little to no sleep; contact with Ducky because he would take one look at you and know that you were sick."

"Ziva, I can handle my job," Tim told her. "And I don't need Ducky."

"Well, he will be very sad to hear that."

"Ziva,"

Ziva glanced at him briefly before turning her attention back to the road. "Tim, I worry about you."

"I can handle it, Ziva, I'm not weak."

"I never said you were." After a few moments, she continued, "Neither has anyone else."

Tim snorted. Ziva sighed as she pulled into his complex and parked the car.

"Tim, everyone gets sick, you don't need to hide it or pretend. _I_ was just sick," she reminded him once they were settled in his apartment.

"And you didn't ask to go home or stay home, Gibbs told you to."

"If he knew how sick you were, he would do the same for you."

"Ziva, it's a cold, I'm fine."

"Tim, last night you had a temperature."

"I…I did?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes. I checked it when you fell asleep on the couch. I almost called Ducky to check on you and Gibbs to inform him that you were sick and would not be in today."

"Thank God, you didn't," Tim replied without thinking.

"Tim,"

"Okay," he reluctantly admitted, "I might have caught your cold, but I'm fine. There is no reason for me to take time off of work."

She just looked at him, wondering what the real issue was.

"Ziva, Tony would never let me hear the end of it. He came back to work while still recovering from the _plague_ and I needed time off for a slight temperature?"

"Your health and safety is more important than anything he can say or do."

"I know that."

"Do you?" she retorted. The two stared at one another for a moment before Ziva broke the silence. "I've noticed a few things about you."

"Like what?" Tim asked cautiously.

"Like the fact that you are so concerned about not showing weakness to Tony and Gibbs that you don't tell them anything."

"If it doesn't affect the job, they don't need to know."

"They _want_ to know if it affects _you_ , they care about you."

Tim snorted in disbelief.

"What does that mean?"

"They care that the job gets done, cases come first,"

"Not at the risk of you."

"No?" Tim asked skeptically. "Then how do you explain the situation with Jethro? First, I was sent to cover the back door by _myself_ , while three of you covered the front. Then, after I was attacked by a drugged up dog, I was checked out, on the scene, by a medical examiner and then sent to transport my attacker back to NCIS, alone. That weekend I was in the hospital, hooked up to an IV to fight an infection that had developed."

Ziva leaned back in her chair, "You never said anything."

"I couldn't," Tim shrugged, reading her look, "It wasn't confidential, but Tony was already teasing me about rabies and the CD he put in my computer, I wasn't about to mention that my arm was tingling and hurting, things would've gotten much worse."

"But you were really injured."

"So?"

"So, Tony would've stopped. He does care about you."

Another snort.

"Ugh!" She complained, "You men are impossible." She stood up and paced around the small room. "Tony and Gibbs care about _everyone_ on the team, and not just in relation to how it affects the job or the case. But neither one of them will come out and say it. Gibbs, well, he doesn't say much period," she said, staring at Tim. "And Tony, he's the opposite, he won't shut up, but doesn't talk about anything important. He'll laugh, joke, tease, prank, but a serious conversation will have him running as far and as fast as quickly as he can."

"Ziv-"

"I'm not finished," she interrupted, glaring at him. "You and Tony are a lot alike," she continued, surprising Tim. "Neither one of you want to show what you perceive as weakness to another. To Tony, he thinks caring for someone, showing that you care is weakness, hence why he won't admit that he cares."

Tim just looked at her, not saying a word. "Tim, every time you are hurt, out of contact, or upset, Tony drives me crazy worrying about you," Tim just lifted an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't interrupt. "Let me tell you what I learned about what occurred last Wednesday morning at the hotel," Ziva stated, before telling him about Tony's reaction to them missing and their cold room.

"Why didn't you tell me this last week?" he asked when she had finished.

"Would you have believed me? Do you believe me now?" she asked. "I am not asking if you think I am lying, I am asking if you believe what I am saying."

"I…I don't know," Tim admitted. "I, it's just hard to reconcile that Tony with the one from today," Tim said before explaining part of today's lunch conversation.

"Maybe he pushes so hard because you don't talk," Ziva said, confused when Tim looked away. "No doubt Tony was hoping that you would get mad or defensive and respond, like you did today."

"Normally I wouldn't have," he argued. "It's been awhile since that worked. I have learned to have more control over myself and my impulses than I did before. If I share something it's because _I_ want to."

"What was different about today?" Ziva asked, staring at him, suspecting the answer.

He rolled his eyes, knowing where she was going with this. With a sigh, he admitted that his lack of self control was due to not feeling well, and the effort it took trying to hide that fact from everyone.

Her look promised him that they would revisit that topic once the current discussion was settled.

"No doubt since it did work today, at least at first, he will try it again," Ziva stated. "Mostly because Tony probably does not know what else to try and he will not come right out and say that he is concerned. He honestly does not see how what he is doing is wearing on you; he does not see it as you see it."

Tim thought about what she said before replying, "I'm not saying I agree with you that he cares, because I'm not sure I do," he admitted. "But if you're right, what should I do?"

"Take the next few days off. No doubt you still have a temperature and it is probably higher than it was on yesterday, since you haven't given your body a chance to heal."

"I meant about Tony," Tim replied dryly.

"This will affect him too," Ziva reassured Tim, "He will probably be worried and concerned that you are out and will drive me crazy asking if I know anything. Another thing you can do is to give him a chance."

"I've given him plenty," he retorted, "including lunch today."

Ziva closed her eyes, trying to be patient. "Tim, just this week you shared that you overthink things, overanalyze everyone's words, and attribute the worst to them. Try to stop doing that with Tony. Try to believe that he means well, okay, so not well," she admitted, "But that he is not intentionally being hurtful. Tony talks to fill in the silence so people won't ask him what he thinks or feels. That is the mask _he_ hides behind. I am asking you to try to recognize it as a mask and get pass it."

Tim met her gaze, unsure if it was possible, unsure if she was right. "I'll try," he finally replied. "I'll try."

* * *

10-23-18

* * *

Hmm, wasn't planning on Tim getting sick...had to add some things, move some things around since the plot bunnies took over my body and added that in there...


	45. Thur-Fri Mar 5-6 Unexpected Visitors

Not Beta'd; I do not own NCIS in any way, shape, or form.

* * *

Thursday-Friday March 4-5

* * *

"Boss, McGoo and Ziva aren't here yet," Tony said, hiding his worry behind a smirk.

Gibbs just turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "It's unlike them to be late," Tony tried to explain, "want me to call them?"

"Ziva's downstairs with Ducky," Gibbs began, only to be interrupted by Tony.

"Why? Did something happen? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, just had some questions for him."

"Oh, that's good," Tony sighed in relief. "Is Probie with her?"

"Nope."

Tony looked at Gibbs, hoping he would explain, which, of course, he didn't. "So where is he?"

"Took a day off," Gibbs said, as he continued to read the file on his desk.

"Is everything okay?"

Tony interpreted Gibbs grunt as 'fine'. "Then why did he take the day off."

"Need to know and you don't," Gibbs replied. "What you need to do is review those cases for new leads," he said pointedly looking at the stack of cold case files on Tony's desk.

"Bu-" When Gibbs turned his glare to him, he stopped what he was saying and grabbed a file.

* * *

"Did Probie say anything to you on the way home yesterday about taking today off?"

"No," Ziva answered honestly. _He_ hadn't said anything. When he had fallen asleep while she was heating up some of the leftover soup for dinner, she insisted that they check his temperature. Once it had been confirmed that it was over 100 degrees, she had offered to either dial the phone to call Gibbs or to drive him to the hospital. After much discussion, he had agreed to talk to Gibbs; when Tim informed the SSA what his current temperature was and that he would be out of the office the next day. Gibbs had replied that he was not to return until Monday, and to only do so then if his temperature was normal.

"So you don't know anything."

Ziva smirked, "I know a lot of things."

Tony rolled his eyes, "I meant about McSkipper."

"McSkipper?" Ziva repeated with a frown, "A skipper is similar to a ship's captain, is it not? I highly doubt Tim is out on a boat."

"Probably not even Peggy could entice him on one willingly," Tony snorted. "And I meant skipper as in, skipping work, playing hooky," Tony added.

She frowned, "I do not think Tim is the type to do so."

"Ah, but who knows what Peggy could talk him into," Tony retorted, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "As long as a boat isn't involved."

Ziva had to smile at that; after all, she _did_ have a hand in convincing Tim to call out.

Noticing the smile, "So, you do think he is up to something?"

Ziva shrugged, "All I know was that he told me he was not going to be at work till Monday."

"Monday?" Tony repeated, leaning back in his chair.

"What?" Ziva asked when Tony remained silent, something that was highly unusual for him, especially when it involved Tim.

"I'm just wondering what he is up to," Tony admitted.

"If he wanted you to know, he would have told you," Ziva replied.

"Doesn't keep me from wondering," Tony countered. The only question was if Probie was out for a good reason, like spending time with his potential girlfriend, or bad, sick, injured or family problem. Tony frowned, surely if it was bad, Gibbs would tell them. He decided to focus on good reasons that might explain McGee's absence.

"Perhaps he and Peggy went away for an extended weekend? Oh! Maybe they went to Vegas."

"Tim does not seem the Vegas type," Ziva commented.

"Well, no, normally I would agree," Tony replied, "But it is one of the most well known places to quickly get married."

Ziva choked, "Married!" she said, in between coughs.

"Are you sure you are feeling better?"

"Fine, fine, what do you mean married?"

Tony shrugged, "When he and Peggy were fighting last week, I asked him if he had an appointment with a jeweler to ring shop and planned on proposing. He said no to the ring shopping, but didn't deny the bit about a jeweler or when I asked about a family ring. Eloping is something Tim would try if he is as crazy about this woman as I think he is."

Ziva sat back in surprise. Tony had asked him about _marriage_ even though he knew Tim had only been seeing her for a month? No wonder Tim didn't tell her about anything that had happened in the office when she was sick.

"You do know that Tim has only been on a few dates with her?"

Tony shrugged, "Official dates, maybe, but they spend more time together than some married couples I know. Informal dinners a few times a week, texting each other, and according to you, talk day and night when the team was away. That's much more than any of his other relationships, including Abby."

Ziva frowned at that. "Abby?" she repeated before she could censor herself.

"Probie really liked Abby," Tony pointed out. "Made all sorts of excuses to be up here the year before he made the team. Usually stayed with Abby as well. I figure if he's spending even more time with Peggy, well, assuming she really exists, than he's probably already in love with her."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah," Tony nodded.

"If you know he is serious about her, why do you give him such a hard time about her then?"

"Because we don't know her. Don't really know anything about her."

"Should we?" Ziva asked. "You often tell us about your dates, but mostly just the superficial details. I have not shared much about the men I have seen."

"But none of them have mattered to us like Peggy matters to Tim," Tony stated. "At least, not before guy in tights."

Ziva rolled her eyes at the nickname.

"Seriously, Ziva, how serious is it between you?"

"It is too early to tell," Ziva replied. "As it is between Tim and…Peggy. If you would really like to know or are concerned, why do you not ask?"

Tony frowned at that, "I ask all the time."

"No," she retorted, "You tease, you mock, you insult, but you do not _ask_."

"Ah, but I get results," he gloated.

"Do you really?" Ziva asked shrewdly. "Why don't you just show that you care, that you want to know how things are without making it into a joke?"

Tony stared at her in shock.

"This is my advice to you," Ziva began, "is that if you cannot do that, then you leave it alone, let Tim figure it out this relationship for himself. I would not like to hear that you interfered and ruined things between them."

Tony shrugged, "Don't know how I can ruin things since I don't even know who she is," he retorted.

Before Ziva could respond, Gibbs entered the bullpen.

"Gear up," he called, before giving them the information that he had regarding their newest case.

* * *

"Tim…you're home," Sarah said in surprise from the doorway of her brother's apartment. She had let herself in, hoping to get some of the soup she made the other night.

"I am," Tim replied.

"Wow. You must really be sick to call out."

Tim shrugged, "My temp was over 100 degrees last night. Ziva offered to call Gibbs or take me to the hospital."

"And you hate hospitals," Sarah replied.

"More than maggots, heights, and boats," Tim joined her in stating as the siblings exchanged grins.

"Speaking of Ziva," Sarah began.

"Why are you here?" he interrupted, "Shouldn't you have class?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, "The professor let us out early, and my afternoon class is cancelled," she explained. 'I thought I would come by, study in peace,"

"Do some laundry and steal some soup," Tim added, noticing the laundry bag by the door.

"It's not stealing since I made it," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "So, is there any left?"

"I think so, you'll have to check. Ziva heated it up last night when I fell asleep, so I'm not sure."

Sarah paused, wondering if she should get some soup first or ask about Ziva. "If there's any left, do you want some?"

"Sure, if there's enough."

"I made a double batch, so hopefully there should be."

"Ah, so you had this planned."

"Not about the classes, but I was hoping to be able to stop by to grab some soup, hoping its powers work preventatively…and talk," she admitted as she reentered the living room and handed him a bowl. "So, you and Ziva."

"Just friends," Tim informed her.

"You made her the soup."

"I've made it for friends before."

" _One_ friend, that you were sleeping with," Sarah corrected.

"I'm not sleeping with Ziva."

"Hmm," Sarah hummed, rubbing her stomach and smacking her lips as if reacting to the soup when Tim looked at her.

Tim rolled his eyes, "You did a good job," he admitted. "At the first spoonful I knew it was mom's soup."

Sarah grinned. "Ziva didn't tell you?" Tim shook his head. "Well, she did say she wanted it to be a surprise."

"It was, especially when I heard about the conversation between the two of you," Tim admitted. "Thanks for not telling her."

Sarah shrugged, "I'm surprised she didn't know or guess. I thought all families had recipes like that."

Tim just returned the shrug, not wanting to tell his sister that Ziva's family and upbringing was very different than their own.

"Tim, what is going on with you and Ziva?"

"We're friends…who are seeing each other," he added when Sarah continued to stare at him. "I'm not sure how serious it is, and no one at work knows. Well," he sheepishly corrected, "Gibbs does, kinda."

"Kinda?"

"It's a long story."

"I will say it again, you made her the soup," Sarah repeated, before asking, "How long?"

"About a month."

She nodded, "I hope you did something special for Valentine's Day."

Tim told her about the flowers he sent and their cooking class date.

"Wow. That was really sweet."

Tim just shrugged and looked away.

"Wait," Sarah said a few minutes later. "She is the one you took to the ballet the night before we saw Penny? She took care of Jethro?"

"Yeah," her brother admitted.

Sarah snorted, "And you say it's not serious."

"I'll know in a month how serious it is," he said without thinking.

"Why?"

Tim paused, "Er, we agreed to date for two months. Any longer than that the rest of the team should know."

"How can they not know?" She knew her brother and couldn't imagine them not being aware of his feelings.

Tim shrugged, "They don't expect it, so they don't even see it," he finally said, before telling her to help herself to the laundry room or anything else she needed since he was tired and was going back to bed.

* * *

"Why is McGoo out again?" Tony complained, as he started yet another search on his computer. "He should be going this."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

Tony frowned, "Why what?"

"Why should McGee be doing that?"

"Because he's McGeek, it's what he does," Tony replied.

"He's a field agent, he does what he's told, unlike some," Gibbs pointedly stated. "Whether that be pictures, bag and tag, background checks, bolos, or confirming alibis, and he usually does it without complaint," Gibbs added.

"Still doesn't explain why he's out," Tony commented. "I doubt you told him to be out till Monday."

Ziva smirked, "Perhaps McGee needed a vacation from you."

Tony frowned, "Puh-lease. McGee worships me, looks up to me, wants to be me," he said, causing the eyebrows of those who heard his words to rise in doubt. "Besides, that's not a valid reason for him to be out, is it boss?"

Gibbs smirked, "It is if he said he was sick of you," the older man said before leaving to get coffee.

"McGee wouldn't say that," Tony argued, repeating it when no one commented. "He wouldn't," Tony muttered as he got back to work.

* * *

"How's McGee?" Gibbs asked as he and Ziva drove to follow up on a lead regarding their case.

"Still had a temperature last night, according to Sarah. I talked with Ducky about his symptoms, he said it could develop into pneumonia, suggested some medication and treatment that will hopefully help. I plan on heading that way to check on him if we close the case today." Ziva had hoped to check on Tim in person last night, but once realizing that she wouldn't be leaving the office, had called to find out how he was. To her surprise, his sister, Sarah answered the phone.

Gibbs frowned, "How long has he been sick?"

"I first suspected that he wasn't well Sunday morning when I had a difficult time waking him up. He could've just been tired from the movie marathon, but when he didn't eat much breakfast, I started to wonder. His symptoms, fatigue and lack of appetite continued the next few days. I also noticed a bit of…" Ziva frowned, "I am not sure how to describe it. It is as if he was suppressing his cough," she finally stated. "And on Tuesday he had a slight temperature, which confirmed his illness for me. If he was sick before that, I do not know, he did a good job of hiding his symptoms."

"Yeah, he did," Gibbs admitted. "I didn't notice. Do you know why?"

"Perceived weakness," Ziva replied. "And practice. Apparently this is not the first time he has hidden injuries or illness from us."

"What? Why?" Gibbs asked in confusion. "It can't be just that since I sent you home when you were sick last week."

"He also did not believe that anyone would care."

"How the hell can he think that?"

Ziva remained silent.

Gibbs sighed and shook his head, deciding to figure that out later. "How are things going with McGee, with your plan?" He had his suspicions, especially since Ziva just mentioned Tim spending the night at her place last weekend.

"Things are going well," Ziva finally answered. "Tim is a very different person outside of work," she said. "He is still on the quiet side, and likes to keep things private, but we've agreed to be honest with one another; to treat this as a real relationship. If one of us does not want to discuss something, we will share that rather than lie, evade, or ignore each other," she informed her boss, not remembering what they might have previously told him about the plan.

For a moment, she was lost in thought regarding the promises they made to each other, the time they spent together, and the feelings that had started to develop on her side.

"Ziva?"

Gibbs voice penetrated her thoughts and brought her back to the topic on hand. "He is very much the gentleman. Not just regarding opening doors, and holding out chairs, and situations of shared hotel rooms," she added, grinning at Gibbs, "but in everything he says and does. He tries to protect me, because of who _he_ is, not because he doesn't think I can protect myself. He's respectful, considerate, thoughtful, and attentive. It is quite a change from the men I usually know or date," she admitted.

"You deserve to be treated like that," Gibbs informed her softly.

"Deserved to be loved," Ziva murmured softly, remembering Tim's words. Gibbs shot her an inquisitive glance, one she chose to ignore.

"I never thought I would like it," she admitted. "I…Abby told me that when she had been seeing Tim, that he treated her like a princess. I know what she meant. He treats me like one as well, but not a helpless, locked in the tower, damsel in distress kind of princess that needs rescuing. He is so caring, so giving that he…It is…" she paused, trying to find the words to convey what she is feeling.

"Good," she finally settled on.

"Just good?"

"No," she confessed, "Refreshing and unsettling, as well, to name a few" she added. "The situation is only temporary, however, so there is no need to dissect it."

Gibbs smiled, turning his head slightly so she wouldn't see. He had a feeling that it wasn't as temporary as they thought. He knew McGee would be good to her and for her. It had only been a few weeks and Ziva was letting her walls down. The old Ziva would never have admitted that she was unsettled by something, nor that she enjoyed a bit of pampering.

He also believed that the reverse would be true. Unfortunately, he would have to wait to see if that was true.

"And the situation with Tony?"

Ziva frowned, not wanting to share what she had learned about Tim's past. "He has not changed or stopped sticking his nose into Tim's affairs. In fact, he thinks that Tim is out in Vegas this weekend, getting married."

"What?" Gibbs shouted in surprise, causing Ziva to laugh at his reaction before she informed him of the conversation between her and the SFA.

"If it was closer to April First, I would tell Tim and have him return to work with a wedding band on," Ziva replied, not really having anything else to say on that topic.

* * *

As soon as Gibbs had dismissed her for the day, Ziva packed up her desk and raced to Tim's apartment. She hoped that he was okay. Because of the case they caught yesterday, as well as being down a person, the team did not leave the bullpen all night, catching only a few hours of sleep here and there while working.

She was glad for the key Tim had given her since it meant she could let herself in and out without disturbing him. After walking Jethro and feeding the three of them, Ziva joined Tim in his room. He had been sleeping when she first arrived and upon waking and seeing her there, had started to move into the living room. Ziva had prevented him from doing so, stating that he would be more comfortable laying in his bed then sitting up on his couch, which was not geared towards his six foot plus build.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I will ask you again, how are you feeling?"

This time Tim rolled his eyes, but did provide an honest answer. "The medicine Sarah got yesterday helped," he admitted. "Kind of makes me wonder if she's dating a doctor."

Ziva smiled, since she had informed Sarah what Ducky had said and the medicine he had recommended. "Would that be a bad thing?"

"No, I guess not," Tim admitted.

"I am sure after a weekend of rest, your temperature will be back to normal and you can return to work on Monday."

"Good," Tim replied, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Sleep," Ziva ordered, seeing his actions. "I will be here if you need anything and to take care of Jethro."

"You don't have to stay," he replied, eyes already closing.

"I know," she said, brushing the hair off of his face, "I want to," she concluded to an already sleeping Tim.

* * *

"Tim?" Ziva said, as movement disturbed her.

"I'm fine," he replied, "just needed the bathroom."

"Do you need anything else?"

"I'm good."

Ziva snuck a glance at the clock. "You can take another dose in less than an hour. Want to watch some television while we wait?"

"Zee, you can go back to sleep, I'm sure you're tired after working all night."

"I am fine," she reassured him. "And you really should take some more medication since you are awake. It will help you heal faster. You did say you started to feel better after Sarah got it for you," she reminded him.

"Yeah, you're right," he reluctantly agreed. "I'm just not used to anyone taking care of me."

Ziva stayed silent, not sure what to say. "Come, lay back down. I'll get your medication and some food to go with it, then we will see if there is anything good on tv while we wait."

While Tim got settle into his bed once again, Ziva escaped to the kitchen, returning moments later with some toast, water, and two pills, which she placed on his nightstand before walking towards the other side of the bed. She then climbed in and snuggled under the cover.

"Anything good on?"

Tim just shrugged, he hadn't really been paying attention, just flipping through the channels. His thoughts were on how nice it felt to have someone, _Ziva_ , taking care of him. How she seemed so at home in his apartment, how natural it was to wake up and see her lying next to him in his bed. "Here," he said, passing her the remote, "Maybe you will find something."

Ziva grinned and accepted the challenge.

* * *

"Tony? You okay?" Gibbs asked when he recognized the figure on his basement stairs.

"Not sure," Tony admitted, taking a seat on a stair.

Gibbs nodded and continued to work on his boat; pushing Tony to talk before he was ready would only make him run.

"Did Probie really say he was sick of me? Sick of working with me?" the SFA asked suddenly.

Gibbs put the tools down and faced his agent. "Why?"

"I think he almost said something similar at lunch Wednesday," Tony admitted. Gibbs didn't say a word.

Eventually Tony continued, "He thinks we don't care about him."

"We?" Gibbs questioned, not knowing what else to say. He wondered if Ziva had shared a few things with Tony as well while Tim was absent from the office.

Tony shrugged, "He specifically mentioned myself and Abby Wednesday, but…"

"But?"

"McGee once let something slip about you not being there for him," Tony admitted. "I can't remember the exact circumstances, but…" Tony trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Gibbs turned away and picked up his tools again, deciding it was best to keep his hands busy.

"Boss?"

"He didn't say anything to me," Gibbs admitted.

"So it's not true," Tony sighed in relief.

"Is that right?" the older man turned to look at his agent.

Tony frowned, "You just said,"

"That he didn't say anything to me, and he hasn't, but apparently, he let slip quite a lot to you, and others. The only question is, are you going to do something about it?"

"What can I do?"

Gibbs just stared at his agent for a few more minutes. "I will say it again, actions have consequences. If I were you, I would be very careful about what you say and do."

Tony stared at his boss for a few minutes before nodding and heading out the door. Both of them had a lot of thinking to do this weekend.

* * *

11-3-18

* * *

Sorry for the delay, had a few tweaks and changes to make (Darn Tim for getting sick!)

Mostly trying to reorder scenes that have been written, some don't work where they were, some might not work at all (which is a shame cuz I really liked them...)

On the plus side, most of this story is written, as I said, just playing around with the order of what happens when...


	46. Sat-Sun Mar 7-8, 20 Questions (J46)

Not Beta'd; I do not own NCIS

A/N In part of this chapter, Tim and Ziva play '20 questions', interrogation style. The questions that is in italics, with the questions the asked underlined. Some answers are given in "quotes", some just paraphrasing what they said. It was kinda long and boring to do the entire thing dialogue style...

* * *

Sat-Sun Mar 7-8; 20 Questions

* * *

After waking up Saturday morning, Ziva quickly showered, walked and fed Jethro and prepared a light breakfast for Tim. She then left it beside his bed along with a note stating that she had a few errands to do and would be back later that day.

Ziva returned, bringing food back with her, along with some laundry. Since she had been sick last week, she hadn't done any laundry and had hoped to catch up on it this week. She didn't want to take the time away from Tim to do it, but also knew she couldn't put it off much longer. If the team got called out a lot next week, who knew when she would have the time. That was when she remembered that Tim had a washer and dryer in his apartment. She quickly gathered her dirty clothes from her place, along with her detergent and loaded her car. She also took some of the meals she had stored in her freezer that just needed to be reheated, so they would have healthier food than take out this weekend, especially since Tim was still recovering.

Unsurprisingly, Tim was asleep when she returned, though she did notice that the breakfast she had left for him had disappeared. She decided to start her first load of laundry before settling onto the couch to read, frequently checking on her friend.

Once Tim woke, the two walked Jethro. Tim claimed he was well enough to look after his dog and that he really needed to get out, being shut in was driving him crazy. Upon their return, Ziva began heating up their food, while telling him about the case he had missed. She also told him Tony's theory of him being in Vegas getting married. Tim just shook his head, not really knowing what to say.

"We can watch another movie marathon," Ziva offered, after she finished cleaning up from their early dinner, tilting her head towards the bedroom where his tv was located.

Tim shrugged, 'I've been watching tv and movies non-stop for the last two days."

Ziva snorted. "You have mostly been sleeping non-stop for two days," she corrected "and would probably fall asleep again if we watch a movie."

Tim struck his tongue out at her in reflex before realizing what he was doing. Luckily she laughed, amused by his actions and not offended as he had feared.

"We could play some games."

"Mostly all I have here are computer games," he admitted. "And the few games I do have," he scrunched his nose, "I know I won't really be up to. I feel better, much better," he added, "But the medicine still takes a lot out of me."

"Ah, but it would be my chance to take advantage of you," Ziva retorted, remembering how badly she had played when she was sick.

Tim shook his head, not feeling up to it.

"We could talk," she offered. "That might keep you awake."

"About what?" he asked before an idea came to him. "We could play twenty questions."

"How do you play that?"

"In this case, it basically means we just ask take turns asking each other questions that they then answer."

"Does not sound like much of a game to me," Ziva commented, "Sounds more like an interrogation."

Tim smiled, "It can be," he admitted, "The key is that any question you asked could later be asked of you, so"

"You might not be too outrageous in what you ask," Ziva nodded in understanding. "What type of questions do you ask?"

Tim shrugged, "Pretty much anything goes, just remember that you might have to answer the same question or a variation of it, and make sure that you _really_ want to know the answer when you ask a question."

Ziva gave a puzzled look, "What do you mean? If you ask a question, of course you would want the answer."

Tim hesitated as he thought about the best way to say this, "Okay, so, if Tony was here, I would mostly try to stay away from questions asking him what he thinks is my biggest flaw or how I contribute to the team. I'm not sure I would want his opinion on that."

Ziva frowned, understanding his point, but also concerned that he believed Tony held such small regard for him.

"It's a good way to get to know one another better," Tim added.

Ziva nodded, "And you are sure you are feeling well enough to do this?"

Tim shrugged "It is just talking."

Ziva hid a smile, thinking that perhaps she could finally get some of the answers she wanted from him. "Okay, but we will do this from your bedroom. It is the best place for you to be comfortable," she added when Tim protested.

Rolling his eyes, Tim walked into his room, Ziva following a few minutes later after making sure the kitchen was clean and checking on her laundry.

"Right then, who begins?" Ziva asked, after climbing on top of Tim's bed.

Tim shrugged, "Ladies first."

She smirked, "That's Elf Lady, my Knightly Elf Lord," she corrected before asking the first question.

 _Most embarrassing moment:_

 _Tim replied that he honestly couldn't remember, as a defense mechanism, he tended to block them out, after they happened. However, from what he could remember, any time he was seasick, especially as an adult and NCIS agent, and the incident at the grocery store._

Ziva smirked at the last one, while she waited for Tim to think of a question to ask.

 _Biggest fear:_

 _Ziva admitted that it was being pulled back into Mossad, living the lifestyle of an assassin. That she now know what it means to have friends and partners that care, a place to belong._

Ziva thought about asking Tim that question, but thought perhaps it was too soon to repeat questions.

 _Happiest/proudest moment_

 _'Making the team' Tim replied immediately. 'Gibbs saying I belonged to him now.'_

 _Fave childhood memory_ Tim asked,

 _Ziva replied by sharing a memory of that involved her and her siblings when they were much younger. We were so young, innocent, so happy, she had shared._

 _How do you see your future?_

 _Tim would like to continue at NCIS as a field agent. Really hoped to marry, have a family, a house, the dog, the whole nine yards._

 _"You have the dog," Ziva pointed out._

 _"Then I guess I'm doing that bad," he laughed._

Tim smiled as he realized that most of their questions so far had been fairly superficial. He debated whether or not to bring the game up a notch.

 _Your strength/weakness_

 _Ziva gave this some thought before answering. One of my strengths is being underestimated, she had admitted. It gives me more of an advantage. Tim had snickered at that, since in his opinion, Ziva didn't need an advantage. My weakness is harder, not because she didn't have any, she protested when he began nodding at her words. She believed she had a lot. Stubbornness, aggression, self-righteousness. She felt that her weakness was a character trait similar to one of these, that she often judged people and things before knowing or learning about them. Yes, sometimes, quick decisions were needed in their line of work, but not everything or everyone was work related. She needed to be patient, give people a chance, allow them in, so to speak._

Her next question was one she had wondered about a lot this past week. _Other than Jethro and now being sick, what other injuries and illnesses did you hide from the team and why and how:_

 _Tim tried to protest the three part question, but eventually gave in, as he suspected he would. Still, maybe he could focus on the latter parts and not the first._

 _"Uh, well, I guess it is just something I got used to as a kid. Whenever I complained that I didn't feel well or that something hurt, my father always told me not to be so weak. That navy men don't get sick and that they push pass the pain and discomfort. It helped that I knew that if Tony knew I was sick or hurt, he wouldn't let it go, or would joke about it somehow." Ziva stared at him, waiting for him to answer the first part of the question. With a sigh, Tim stated, "Honestly, there wasn't that many. Fine," he continued when Ziva continued to look at him, listing some of the situations he had been hurt, but hadn't said anything._

Wanting to get off that topic, Tim rushed to ask his next question, not really paying attention to what he said until it was too late.

 _My strength/weakness_

Tim cringed as he asked this question, hoping he wouldn't regret hearing her answer, but feeling that he could trust her.

 _"Honestly," Ziva began, "I would say your insecurity. It makes you doubt yourself. It is also what allows Tony to get to you. You doubt yourself and believe him._ _ **He**_ _does not know you best, so why do you let him have the biggest impact on your life? Your strength?" She paused. "That is a tougher question. I am not sure. What comes to mind is your caring and empathy, your compassion. How you treat others, because you understand what they could be feeling and thinking. The respect you have for everyone, whether it be your team lead, your partners, the director, or even the janitor. Oh, also your quietness and dependability. You don't say much, but we know that you are there, both at work and personally. Ready to help in any way you can, I know that I can depend on you, anything at anytime._

 _"You are surprised?" Ziva asked, noticing Tim's expression once she finished._

 _"Ah, yeah," Tim admitted, "I would've expected you to say my computer skills."_

 _Ziva nodded, "At work, that is a strong asset, however, it is sometimes a weakness, since you often use the computer to hide behind," she said before asking the next question._

 _Serious relationship:_

 _Tim had frowned at this question and replied that to him, all of his relationships had been serious. When Ziva clarified_ _ **Most serious**_ **,** _he added 'his current relationship, since that was the most important one at the moment'._

 _Ziva felt a flutter in her stomach at his words. Did he mean it was the most important because_ she _was important to him or that it was the most important because it was his current relationship? She knew which one she hoped for._

 _First real relationship:_

 _"I would have to say this one, ours," she quietly admitted before explaining. "I can not know if I've ever had a real relationship," Ziva admitted. "Most of them had been convenient, or each of us wanting something from the other. But a relationship where someone truly cared about me?" she repeated before asking Tim that same question._

 _Tim blushed as he responded, talking about a girl he had met while away at school._

 _Worst thing that happened to you_

 _Ziva sadly admitted, 'realizing Ari wasn't who I thought was, who I remembered him to be. And that I had to choose between saving him and doing what was right'._

 _Best thing that happened to you_ _:_

 _This plan, Tim thought. "You," he said out loud, clarifying his point, "your friendship. I appreciate what you have done for me this last month, don't know if I could've survived without your help."_

Ziva smiled at him, hoping that he had truly meant what he said.

 _One thing in your life you could change_ _,_ Tim had asked.

 _Ziva sadly expresses that she would save her sister Talia. "Not Ari?" Tim asked._

 _"I wish things were different, but he made his choices, Tali never had that opportunity', Ziva had answered._

 _Worse thing you've done_

 _Tim looked away, "I once got upset at a friend, former friend, well, someone who pretended to be my friend and I, well, I kinda trashed his apartment." Ziva looked at him in shock. "I felt bad and cleaned most of it up before he even came home," Tim admitted, "But I still did it."_

Not really knowing what to ask, that didn't involve his thoughts regarding the plan, or the feelings he had for her, Tim asked her the same question. Realizing that it probably wasn't the smartest question to ask an assassin, he tried to retract it, or clarify not work related.

Ziva just gave a sad smile. _"There are many things I did that I am not proud of. And most people would probably say that the killings I did were the worse. But right now, what I remember the most," she paused and looked at him for a moment, before turning away, "It was the fact that I didn't care what I did to accomplish my goals. I told you before that flirting was a tool, before now I never thought about how the other person felt. I realize now, that the worse was probably taking advantage of the feelings someone had for me, using them to accomplish my mission. I gave no thought to how they would be after I left, once they realized that everything I said and did was a lie."_

 _Ziva gave a wry smile, and looked away, not meeting Tim's gaze, "Maybe that is my worst trait. Being unable to care."_

"Hey," Tim injected, reaching over to give her a quick hug, "That is not a trait you possess. Not anymore," he added when she went to argue. "Trust me. I wouldn't, _couldn't_ lie to you."

Ziva nodded, and made no effort to pull away, continuing to recline against him. It took her a few minutes to remember the game that they were playing and to ask another question. She wasn't sure what had made her do it, but as soon as the words escaped, she knew it was something she wanted to know.

 _What question do you really want to ask right now, but are too afraid to?_

Tim looked down at her head that was curled up against his chest, glad he had an excuse not to meet her eyes as he answered. "Okay, so I am _answering_ your question, not really asking it, okay? So don't answer, because I'm honestly not sure I want to know." Ziva smiled gave him a nod of agreement, though inwardly she was wondering what he was so worried about.

"I can't help but wonder about the few kisses we shared, what you thought of them," he added, before quickly asking the next question in the game.

 _When you became a member of the team, you joined in with Tony in teasing me. Why? I can't imagine that was somehting that occurred within Mossad._

 _"I...you are correct. It's not something that is prevalent within the Mossad ranks._

 _I prepared dossiers on the team long before I joined," she admitted. "I knew how you reacted to Tony's teasing and stunts. You never let it effect you. You stayed professional. At times, you joked back, but you never got mad or seemed to hold a grudge against him. Nor against Abby for any of her antics," she added with a shrug. "You didn't seem to care, so I convinced myself that it didn't bother you, that you didn't mind," she said, meeting his gaze._

 _"When I joined the team, Tony and you acted the same as I had noticed on paper, that reinforced my beliefs. Since it appeared that it caused no harm or trouble and that no one, mainly yourself or Gibbs, had a problem with it, I did not see a reason to protest or not join in."_

 _Tim nodded in understanding, "I've learned that the more of a reaction you show, the worse it gets."_

 _Ziva nodded, "I can see that," she commented, remembering the few times that Tim had staged a protest, or at least had tried._

The two continued asking and answering questions for most of the night. It seemed like whenever the answer got too personal, they would then quickly ask the next question to get off that subject. By unspoken agreement, neither one made a follow up question on those topics.

* * *

"Oh, God, I'm so dead," Tim muttered in horror as he woke up Sunday morning. Once more Ziva's hair was tickling his face, however, instead of her being sprawled out on his chest, he had woken to his arms wrapped around her, hugging her to him. Her back against his chest, one of his arms curved around her waist, _under_ her shirt, and cradling her breast in his hand.

Realizing that he best move before she woke and noticed not just his hand, but another part of his anatomy, had Tim extracting himself before rushing into the bathroom, eager to escape into the shower, even if it was a cold one.

One long, cold shower later, Tim exited the bathroom to find his bed and the room empty, the room quiet, as the evangelical show that had been on the tv when he first woke up was now gone. He paused as a thought came to him. Maybe he had woken her when he left his bed? Perhaps she had left as soon as he did to avoid a scene? He slowly dressed and headed to the living room, curious to see if Ziva was there and what she might say or do if she was.

"Good morning," she called, her back to him. "I wasn't sure how hungry you were, but I knew you still needed to eat, so I made some eggs and toast."

"Thank you," Tim replied, relieved that she apparently hadn't been awake this morning. He highly doubted she would be so nice if she had been.

"After we eat, I will get dressed and then perhaps we can walk Jethro," she suggested.

"I…okay," Tim agreed, surprised by the domesticity of their situation.

"We should also take your temperature to make sure it is down."

"I'm sure it is," Tim replied. "I feel much better."

"If you were really feeling better, you would eat," she replied pointedly.

Tim smiled and picked up his fork, Ziva smiled and nodded at his actions.

After cleaning up from breakfast, Ziva headed back towards his living room where she picked up the book she had started the day before. "Do you mind if I stay for a bit and read? I am really enjoying this story."

"Of course you can," Tim replied, about to tell her that she could borrow the book and take it home with her if she liked, before stopping, not really wanting her to leave. "Um, do you mind if I write, er, type?"

"Of course not," Ziva replied, glad Tim was allowing her to stay as he worked on his book, taking it as a sign of trust he had in her.

The day passed quickly, with the two of them engaging in various pursuits, both alone and together. They made sure to spend some time playing with Jethro, both indoors and out, sitting on the couch listening to music or reading, and occasionally talking. Neither one suggested that they watch a movie or see what was on the tv, nor did they even look in the direction of Tim's room. While both always enjoyed being together, the real issue is that neither one of them wanted to be alone with their own thoughts, not with the answers they received from last night's game .

Before long Ziva left for the day after informing Tim that she would pick him up for work the following morning.

* * *

11-4-18

* * *

Tim should be back to work tomorrow...wonder what might happen...


	47. Monday, March 9 Rings (J47)

Not Beta'd; Disclaimer applies.

* * *

Monday, March 9 Rings (J47)

* * *

"Oh, I meant to ask you to stop so I could buy us breakfast," Tim told Ziva as they approached the Navy Yard. He had just realized how close they were to work and that he had forgotten to ask her earlier since they were too busy talking.

"You do not have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to, plus, well," he admitted sheepishly, "I didn't have much in the house and I'm starving," he admitted.

"That is a good sign," Ziva replied cheerfully. "You still didn't have much of an appetite most of the weekend."

"I know."

"You definitely look and sound much better," Ziva told Tim, "Tony will never guess that you were sick."

Tim shrugged, "I decided you were right, my health is more important than anything Tony says or do. I won't hide this from him. And I do feel much better," Tim admitted, "Thanks to you."

"It was no problem," she reassured him. "I was happy to return the favor, after all, you cared for me when I was sick."

Tim blushed, "Yeah, but you seemed to recover faster."

"Only because you didn't share that you weren't feeling well. Ducky was worried that it might be pneumonia, that is why Sarah picked up that medicine for you."

Tim whipped his head around in surprise, "You told Ducky?"

"Not that it was you," she admitted. "That it was someone I was seeing, and that he caught my cold, only seemed to have it much worse. He told me what to watch out for, how best to treat him, and offered to stop by and check up on you if you got worse."

"I…thank you," Tim said as she parked the car.

"And, after being at your place all weekend, I knew that you did not have much for breakfast, so I brought you some," Ziva grinned, holding up a bag.

"You really didn't have to do that," Tim replied, gratefully accepting the bag and looking at Ziva curiously.

"A deconstructed blueberry muffin," Ziva said with a grin. "High in antioxidants, to help you stay healthy."

Tim laughed at the plain corn muffin and container of blueberries, "Thank you."

"I also brought you some napkins and wipes so you can make sure that your keyboard and none of your reports are stained."

"Thank you," Tim repeated, impulsively leaning over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You are welcome," Ziva replied, encouraged by both Tim's words of gratitude and his actions.

* * *

Gibbs walked by Tim's desk as Tim booted up his computer and paused for a moment. "McGee, Tim, glad you're back. Hope everything is okay?" he asked, meeting the Junior Agent's eyes.

"I, uh, yeah," Tim replied, not sure what to make of Gibbs' comments, what he meant by that.

"Tim," Ziva called out, causing the younger man to look at her. She shook her head and then tapped a finger to it, "Do not analyze."

"Right," Tim replied to her before turning back to Gibbs. "I'm good," he admitted. "Feeling much better."

Gibbs nodded, "Good. I won't make you see Ducky though I am sure he is available if you want to follow up with him," he informed the young agent. "If you believe that you are well enough to work, I believe you," he added, meeting his gaze once more.

Tim nodded, not knowing how to respond.

"If you need anything," Gibbs began before dropping the rest of the sentence and returned to his desk.

"Right," Tim replied, before trying to catch up on e-mails in case they got a call out.

* * *

"So McTaken, how's the girlfriend?" Surprisingly Tony had not asked him about what he had done over the weekend, or on the two days he had taken off. However, Tim did notice that Tony did seem to spend a lot of time inspecting the other agent's hands. He also seemed to be more curious about Peggy than before.

"Don't know, don't have one, DiNozzo," Tim replied, remembering his promise to Ziva to give Tony a chance, he decided not to comment that he didn't have a wife either.

"Then who sent you those flowers for Valentine's Day? Who did you go away with the following weekend? Who did you talk to morning and night when we were in Hicksville?"

"A friend."

"A friend that you kissed," Tony pointed out.

"That doesn't make her my girlfriend."

"What would? Sleeping with her?"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Were you the boyfriend of every girl you've slept with?"

"Hell, no," Tony responded vehemently.

"There's your answer."

"So, what are you going to do, wait until she says something?" Tony asked sarcastically.

Tim started coughing as his breakfast started to catch in his throat.

"McGee? Tim? Are you okay?" A worried Tony asked as he raced to his coworker's desk.

"Fine, fine," Tim croaked.

"What was that about?"

"Guess I just got something stuck in my throat."

Tony looked at his breakfast, "Yeah, those blueberries are real killers," he snarked, looking at the blushing Tim. "Wait, she _said_ something and you're still saying she's not your girlfriend? Why? What's wrong with her? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Tim denied, "I just want to take things slowly, be sure of things. I don't want to go too far too fast and mess things up."

"You know, you can also mess things up by going too slow," Tony commented. "She might think that you don't know what you really want. If she feels that you're dragging your feet in committing to her, she might cut you loose completely."

"Tony, I really like her and I know what I want," Tim stated seriously. "And the last thing I want to do is mess things up. I decided that I'm going to let her set the pace and tone of our relationship.

"Tim, she _asked_ you about her being your girlfriend."

"No, she didn't," Tim retorted. "Trust me, if she's unhappy with something or wants something, she will let me know, otherwise, its status quo. I won't presume or assume anything and ruin our friendship."

Tony frowned and looked at him, "But you just indicated that she _has_ said something. She bought _yogurt_ to keep at your place, _she_ suggested that the two of you go away for the weekend, that the two of you start dating. Probie," Tony continued, no teasing in his tone, despite the nickname, "She _said_ something. The only question is how are you going to respond?"

Tim stared at Tony, his heart racing as he thought about what was just said. "No," Tim denied, shaking his head. "The yogurt was when we first started seeing each other, we hadn't even _kissed_ at that point," Tim pointed out. "Going away was an opportunity to get to know each other away from our regular routine, and a chance to get some sun. And she asked me why I didn't call her my girlfriend, she has never said that she wanted to _be_ my girlfriend. She didn't mean any of it like that."

"Did you ask her?"

"I…no," Tim responded honestly.

"What if she did?"

"Trust me, she didn't."

"Probie, she hasn't stopped dating you yet either," Tony pointed out. "And you _are_ presuming and assuming what she means. Make a move, tell her how you feel, or _ask_ her what she wants."

"I…" Tim paused, a small part of him wondering, hoping Tony was right. But he couldn't be. Okay, so he never asked, but he had kissed her a few times, and yes, she responded and kissed him back, but she never encouraged more. Nor had she attacked him with a paperclip, he realized. And yes, she hadn't ended things yet, had actually fought with him when he suggested they do so, but that was only because she wanted to see the plan through, not because she felt the same way he did.

"I'll keep that in mind," Tim commented dismissively, turning back to his computer, and hoping Tony would drop the subject.

Tony shrugged and returned to work, taking the hint, "Just trying to help."

* * *

"So how's your knight?" Abby asked when Ziva stopped by the lab that morning.

"My night was fine," Ziva replied, "did not do much." And in truth, she hadn't.

"Not n-i-g-h-t, but k-n-i-g-h-t," Abby corrected with a laugh, "The guy you are seeing," she added.

Ziva looked at her suspiciously, eyes narrowing, "How do you know I call him that?"

Abby sobered up, "I didn't," she admitted. "I just didn't have a name for him and Tony told me how you reacted when he called him your boy toy, I figured I wouldn't chance it."

Ziva eyed her for a moment before nodded, accepting her explanation.

"Plus," Abby continued with a grin, "There was the song you asked me to help you download and Tony showed me a recording your bullpen Karaoke session. It was pretty obvious the words you sang meant a lot to you. You admitted that the song reminded you of him, so," she shrugged, running out of words to explain her conclusion.

"He is fine," Ziva replied.

"Things going well between you two?"

Ziva shrugged, causing Abby to worry. A fine and a shrug was much different than what was said in the bullpen last week.

"Hey, what's wrong? Is he cheating on you?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I…it is complicated."

"Ziva, he's not… _married_ is he?"

"No."

"Is he sick?"

Ziva frowned, "He had a bad cold that almost developed into pneumonia,"

"No," Abby interrupted, "I mean, like dying sick."

"Oh. No," Ziva replied.

"Then what is so complicated?"

Ziva frowned, wondering how she could explain it without giving things away. All she knew was that Tim was really driving her crazy. Finally she shrugged, "Are not all relationships complicated?" She asked before stating that she better return upstairs before Gibbs has to track her down.

* * *

Ziva reentered the bullpen only to be met by Gibbs smirk, Tony's glare and McGee avoiding her eyes. The first two made her wonder what had happened, the last one did not. Even though she and McGee had spent some time together talking, they hadn't addressed any personal issues. Ziva was beginning to think Tim was purposely avoiding those topics. She was not sure if it was because of some of the conversations that they had over the weekend, the fact that she called his sister regarding the soup, or if he was embarrassed because he couldn't hide that he was sick from her. She frowned at that last thought, still surprised and annoyed that no one else had noticed Tim was ill.

"What?" she asked, checking herself over to make sure nothing was wrong with her appearance.

Tony finally answered, "Your boyfriend, guy in tights, called."

"Do not call him that," Ziva said with a frown, "And you would know this how?" she asked, heading to her desk and seeing her phone lying on top of it. "So help me Tony, if you picked up my phone and answered it…"

"I didn't," he quickly defended himself. "Your phone rang," he offered in explanation.

"Then how do you know it was him?" she inquired, giving Tim a quick glance.

"The ringtone," Tony smirked, remembering the scene twenty minutes earlier.

 _Flashback_

 _Tim, Tony, and Gibbs were quietly working at their desks, Ziva had left only moments earlier, to visit Abby, when suddenly music broke the silence._

 _"Oh my God!" Tony snorted, immediately recognizing the tune._

 _"What?" Tim asked, absently._

 _"Ziva's ringtone," he stated, as he began to laugh._

 _"What about it?" He had heard it a few times during the weekend, so wasn't surprised by it, nor did he see why it was so funny._

 _"It's the song she was singing last Monday," he explained, "From the movie she and her boy toy watched over the weekend."_

 _"Boy toy?" Gibbs repeated, smirking at McGee who started to cough and choke when Tony used that phrase, after last week and Ziva's reaction, he was surprised Tony continued to use it._

 _Tony gave him a suspicious look before answering their boss._ _"Abby's theory," Tony explained, "You know, since she hadn't said anything much about him or introduced us to him."_

 _Tim snorted, surprised Tony hadn't come up with a name for him like he had 'Peggy'._

 _"You can't comment, McNotagirlfriend," Tony snapped. "Abby's theory about your girlfriend is that she's non-existent. You won't call her your girlfriend because you don't want to lie, and she's not your girlfriend because she doesn't really exist._

 _"Makes sense really," Tony added with a smirk, "I mean, seriously, what girl in their right mind would date you?"_

 _Tim shut down at his words, glaring at him before returning to the case on his desk._

 _Gibbs also shot Tony a glaring look, preparing to say something w_ _hen Ziva's phone went off again. Tony stood up and approached her desk._

 _"Don't," Gibbs ordered gruffly._

 _"Boss, it could be important," he explained._

 _"Or maybe you're just being nosy," Tim snapped._

 _"Really, McMakebelieve? Why else would her phone ring twice within a minute if it wasn't important?"_

 _"Ziva should be back soon," Gibbs shared, "Leave her phone alone."_

 _"Yes, boss," Tony reluctantly capitulated, heading back to his desk._

 _"So, Probie, do you have a special ringtone for your_ girlfriend _?"_

 _"Tony,"_

 _"Yeah, yeah, she's not your girlfriend," Tony repeated what he had heard many times in the last month, before mumbling, "She can't be if she's not real."_

 _Tim looked at him for a few minutes, "I told you earlier that I really like her, and that I know what I want."_

 _"Which is?" Tony prodded._

 _"I would love nothing more than to call her my girlfriend," he quietly admitted._

 _"Then why don't you?"_

 _"Because she isn't," Tim replied firmly._

 _"So ask her," Tony stated obviously._

 _Tim continued as if not even hearing Tony. "I've always cared for her as a friend, but now…this last month has been amazing," Tim smiled softly. "She's everything I thought she was and more. I care for her a lot, but," he shrugged, unable to find the words to explain and decided to answer Tony's question. "I know she's out of my league, have known it since this whole thing has started. I know it won't last forever, hell, I'm surprised it has lasted this long._ _I can't call her that, knowing that it won't last, that we probably don't have a real fu_ _ture together, no matter how much I might want it_ _,_ " he quietly admitted.

 _"_ _I'm not like you," he continued, ignoring Tony's 'well yeah' comment and laugh. "I don't, can't take relationships lightly. Once I acknowledge her as my girlfriend, I'm in it for the long haul. You know how long it took me to recover from those other relationships, this one," Tim said, briefly meeting Tony's, then Gibbs' gaze, positive that he would be having another conference with the boss soon, "If I go all in and it doesn't work out, if it's all one-sided, I feel that I would have to leave DC and perhaps even NCIS to recover."_

 _Tony stared at him in shock before snickering, "So she's really not make believe or inflatable?"_

 _"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled, shaking his head and glaring when the SFA looked at him. "Get back to work." Tim sighed in relief as Gibbs stopped Tony from making any further comments, as the three settled back to work and the bullpen fell silent once more, at least until Ziva had returned._

"Glory of Love? Really?" A bit mushy don't you think?"

Tim refused to meet anyone's gaze, but commented, "I believe you used the phrase 'teenage girly'."

Tony glared at him, but was unable to speak since Ziva beat him to it. "It is a good song. And FY411, it was not my boyfriend who called."

'FY411' Tony mouthed, trying to figure that out, before deciding it wasn't worth it. "You have another love bringing you glory?" he snickered.

"'Glory of Love' is my general ringtone for all but a select few," she explained knowing Tony would not drop the subject. "I do enjoy the song and it does remind me of him, however, _his_ ringtone is a classical piece, from a ballet, actually."

Tony snorted, "Appropriate for guy in tights, then," he commented.

Ziva rolled her eyes, not commenting.

"Let me guess," he smirked, "It's the waltz from Sleeping Beauty."

Before she could answer, the silence in the bullpen was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, which she seemingly ignored.

"Er, Ziva," Tim began after a few minutes when her phone continued to ring, "You going to answer that?"

"No."

Tim frowned, "But-"

"It is Tony," she interrupted, "I ignore him whenever possible."

"Hey!" Tony yelled in protest before hanging up his phone in defeat, just as Gibbs' phone started to ring.

-/…

The sedan was silent as Gibbs and Tim headed to the crime scene.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Tim finally blurted out. As soon as Gibbs hung up his phone, he told Tony and Ziva that they would be in the van and that Tim would be with him. That announcement caused Tim's stomach to somersault worse than it did when he was on a boat.

"About what?"

"Me…Ziva," Tim responded. "What I said earlier in the bullpen."

"Not my business," Gibbs replied.

Tim frowned, wondering if he meant that _he_ wasn't any of Gibbs' business. "Not even an 'I told you so'?" Tim asked.

"It hasn't interfered with the job yet."

Tim snorted, "I just told you and Tony that after it ends I would probably leave the team, how could that not interfere with the job?"

Gibbs looked at Tim for a moment. "Who said it has to end?" he softly asked.

"I'm not delusional," Tim muttered.

"Hey," Gibbs said, calling his agent's attention to be focused on him. "I told you before, before you do anything rash, like see the director, come to me."

Tim frowned as he remembered when Gibbs used similar words in a conversation with him.

"What?" Gibbs asked, not understanding why that look was on Tim's face.

"I…you don't need to protect Ziva," he finally replied. "If I do go to the director, it will be to give my notice or request a transfer. I'll make sure he knows it is my decision, that I am the one with an issue, no one else is to blame. Ziva won't be sent back to Mossad or Israel, she'll still be on your team."

Gibbs stared at Tim in shock, 'That's what you think I'm concerned about?"

"Well, yeah," Tim replied, "I know how important she is to you."

"And you don't think you're just as important," Gibbs stated, picking up on what Tim wasn't saying.

"I know I'm not," he responded. "Not as important, nor as wanted or as needed as Ziva, Tony, or Abby."

Gibbs felt his heart break. 'Tim,"

"Turn here," Tim suggested, interrupting the older man. "Then the next left."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, but followed his directions, and after a few more turns, arrived at the crime scene.

"Tim." Gibbs began again after he placed the car in park.

"They're waiting for you," Tim replied, nodding his head towards the local LEO's who were staring at them.

Gibbs sighed and nodded, "We'll continue this later," he informed his agent as they exited the vehicle.

It was almost fifteen minutes later that Tony and Ziva arrived, the ME's rolling up a minute after them.

"I told you I should have driven," Ziva muttered as she glanced around and noticed Gibbs glaring at them.

"Please," Tony retorted, "Like they've been here that long."

Ziva looked at Tim and smiled as he came to help with the equipment. "Tim, how long have you guys been here?"

"Er, not long."

"See!" Tony gloated.

Ziva raised an eyebrow, "What I do not _see_ is the local police who were securing the scene for us."

"Huh, you're right," Tony said after taking a look around.

"Nor did we pass them as we pulled in. Therefore, they have been here long enough to get an update and dismiss them," she retorted.

"But…well, at least we beat Ducky and Palmer," Tony pointed out.

"Barely," Ziva pointed out.

"Hey, McGee," Jimmy called, as the agents reached the crime scene. "Thanks for the directions, really seemed to get us here faster."

Tim shrugged off his words, while Tony glared at the junior agent. Ziva just stared at him.

"DiNozzo! Bag and tag; Ziva, witness statements; Tim, pictures." Gibbs called out, seeing the rest of his team ready to work.

"Tim?" Tony repeated.

"Yeah, Tony?" Tim asked, bracing himself for whatever comment the SFA was about to make.

Tony just shook his head, eyes drifting between the junior agent and the SSA, as he wondered what happened on the drive down that had Gibbs calling McGee by his first name. Hopefully he would be paired with Gibbs or McGee for the return trip and could find out.

* * *

11-5-18

* * *

Timothy started to share a bit about what he had felt...how will Gibbs respond?


	48. Still Monday Mar 9 (j48)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer Applies.

* * *

Mon-Tues Mar 9-20 (J48)

* * *

"What is your problem?" Ziva asked as the van headed back to The Navy Yard.

"Nothing."

"You are acting like a boar with a sore paw."

"Bear. Bear with a sore paw," he corrected.

"And you do not deny it," Ziva gloated, ignoring the correction.

Her partner growled, "Something happened."

"Well, yes, that is why we were called there."

"Not that. Between McGee and Gibbs, in the car," Tony explained, frowning. "Do you think McSecrets took advantage of the situation and had another conference?"

"About what?" Ziva asked.

Tony shrugged. "Don't know. We don't even know what the first one was about. But Gibbs called him _Tim_ , something caused that."

Ziva frowned.

"Do you think," Tony began only to stop mid sentence.

"What?"

"If McGee is really sick of working with us, do you think he said something to Gibbs about leaving?"

"I..." Ziva hesitated, she would hope that Tim would mention something to her first, but he didn't have to.

"Ziva? Is it possible?"

Ziva thought back to one of the conversations she had with Tim last weekend.

 _"Tim," Ziva began hesitantly, "Why did you stay?" They had stopped their game of twenty questions but had remained on his bed just watching television and occasionally talking. Ziva was still leaning against him, his arm still around her providing comfort. Ziva had almost been asleep when she heard herself utter that question._

 _"What?" a surprised Tim automatically asked, not sure she was asking what he thought she did._

 _Ziva turned her head to meet his eyes, "It seemed like all we did was cause you pain, disregard your feelings. Why didn't you leave? I know you had offers."_

 _"I enjoy what I do," he simply said._

 _"But not who with."_

 _"Not always," he admitted. "It's been a bit bitter sweet working with all of you. Tony's Tony. Yes, I wish he would back off a bit on personal matters, the same with Abby," he added with a shrug._

 _"And Gibbs?"_

 _Tim frowned, "Not sure how I feel," he admitted. "He never promised me anything."_

 _"You belong to me now," Ziva replied, repeating the words Tim had shared with her earlier about the day he made it to the team, the one he said was one of the happiest and proudest of his life._

 _Tim shrugged, "He never promised anything," he repeated. "He has my back when we're out on the field; he's given me a place to work, made me part of a team; allowed me to be a field agent like I've always wanted. Nothing was ever said that it would be more than that."_

 _"You must have suspected that it could be more," Ziva said. "It's obvious how much he cared about the people on his team."_

 _"Yeah, but I was the new kid. Tony and Abby have been with him for a long time, it's understandable that he cares more for them."_

 _"And me?"_

 _"You're a girl," Tim stated firmly, rushing to explain before she got mad. "Not that you can't take care of yourself. I know you can, Gibbs does as well, but," Tim paused as he thought about what he wanted to say. "Shannon, Kelly, Kate, Jenny," he began, "He's lost a lot of the women in his life, so it's natural that he's very protective of them. It's as if each woman has a special place in his heart, to help him deal with all that he has lost."_

 _At his words, the two fell silent for a time, wondering if Tim was correct._

 _"You still have not told me why you stayed," Ziva replied._

 _"Yes, I did. Because I enjoyed my work."_

 _"But it also appears to make you miserable," Ziva pointed out. "Look at what we are doing to try to get you a few months of peace. Is a job worth that?"_

 _Tim just shrugged._

 _"I," Ziva hesitated. "I am not saying I want you to leave. I do not, but I understand if you feel you have to. This last month, I have viewed things from your point of view, and I am saddened by what I have seen."_

 _"Ziva,"_

 _Ziva shook her head, "No. It is not right. I hope that on April first, when we reveal everything to the team, there will be some serious questions about why we started such a thing. That they would see that it was not just a joke. I hope that things change. That you feel valued for your contributions, cared for as a person, not just what you do, but who you are."_

 _Ziva smiled at him, "Part of me wants that to happen now, I do not want to wait a month."_

 _"You do?" Tim asked, not knowing what else to say._

 _"I care a lot for our team, but I know that we all have faults. I told you some of mine earlier," she added wryly. "Either way, I suspect the dynamics of our team will be very different come April."_

 _Tim wasn't sure what to say._

 _"Just know that I will be there for you, regardless of what happens or how you feel, or what you decide." Smiling at him, she added, "Both before and after April first."_

 _"I…thank you," Tim finally settled for saying._

 _"We will definitely be having a lot of serious conversations on April first," she added._

 _"Maybe those should occur on April second," Tim said, trying to lighten up the moment, "I don't know if Tony is going to take anything seriously on the first."_

 _Tony will not be involved in all those conversations, Ziva thought, as she once more settled down beside Tim to watch tv, the two eventually falling asleep against one another._

What did she do? Ziva thought in dismay, staring blankly out the window as the scenery rolled by. She hoped Tim didn't take that as her nudging him to quit.

"Ziva?" Tony asked again.

She just shrugged and returned her gaze to the window.

"C'mon Ziva, I know you know something."

"I do not," she denied, hoping she was wrong.

"You were thinking about something," Tony argued.

Ziva just shook her head refusing to speak about Tim.

* * *

"Mc-Tim," Gibbs began after the sedan was a few miles from the crime scene.

"Don't have anything yet," Tim admitted, "Have a couple of searches going on my phone, but no results yet. Hopefully soon," he added, hoping to appease his boss.

"Screw the case," Gibbs replied.

"Boss?" Tim asked in shock.

"How can you think that you aren't as important as Tony or Ziva or Abby?"

Tim frowned, not meeting his gaze, "Because I'm not."

"Yes, damn it, you are!"

Another frown, "To solve the case, maybe, but personally?" he shrugged dismissively. "Boss, it isn't important."

"It is to me," Gibbs retorted. "Talk."

Silence fell between them. Gibbs gave a frustrated growl and raked his hand through his hair. He should have known an order to talk wouldn't work with this agent, Tim was often as reluctant to talk as he was. "Why did you think I was talking about protecting Ziva when I told you to come to me first?"

Tim shrugged.

"Not an answer," Gibbs commented, as he waited for a reply.

"You said almost the exact same thing in the elevator a month ago about Tony and Abby."

Gibbs frowned, he remembered telling Tim to come to him, but he didn't remember trying to protect someone else.

Tim rolled his eyes, not surprised his boss didn't remember a conversation between the two of them. "You asked if I could handle Tony, I said I could as long as things didn't escalate, you replied to see you before I see the Director or HR, or retaliate," Tim said, hoping to jolt his memory. "I was surprised at how far you would go to support and protect Tony, then you mentioned it applied to Abby as well. _That_ didn't surprise me," Tim admitted.

"Oh, Tim," Gibbs uttered softly. "That wasn't to protect _them_ , it was for you. So you didn't do anything rash, something you would regret."

"Retaliation?" Tim asked doubtfully.

Gibbs gave him a soft smile, "I know enough about you to know that no matter how they might have deserved it, _you_ would feel bad doing anything. Destroying their credit rating, adding a virus thing to their computer or phone, anything you chose to do, even if it could easily be undone would tear you up inside. I wanted to help prevent that."

Tim refused to look at him. "And the Director?"

Gibbs looked at Tim a moment, hoping he wouldn't be offended by what he said next. "You're emotionally based. It is why you can't take relationships lightly. You try to let your logic and reason guide you and often succeed," he admitted. "But when things get too much or if you are out of control, tired, sick, or upset or example, your emotions can easily take over. I hoped that by promising to see me first, you would have time to calm down, that if or when you came to me, we would be able to work through it, so you _acted_ , not just reacted. I didn't want you to quit a job you dreamed of because emotions were running high, because you couldn't imagine any other way."

Tim frowned, "Why now? Why are you so concerned about me this time? Every time something has happened it's always them you ask about, them you comfort, them you listen to. It is a major reason why I can't help but think that I'm not as important."

Gibbs looked at Tim. "You don't seem to need me," Gibbs finally replied. "Tony, Abby, even Ziva have appeared at my door or on my phone at all hours of the day and night," he added wryly. "Needing, asking for help, even with the tiniest of things. You didn't even come to me when your sister was in trouble, nor after when I again mentioned that I was there if you needed me. I guess I assumed that you had your own support system in place, that you were fine without me, that you were able to handle things on your own. That's why I focused on them."

Tim remained silent as he thought about what the older man said. Was he speaking truthfully? Could he trust Gibbs words? "And if I told you I _was_ thinking of quitting or asking for a transfer, what would you say?"

A look passed over Gibbs' face too quickly for Tim to identify, but he was positive it wasn't one of joy.

"I…" the SSA paused before beginning again. "I would ask you why. Ask how long you've been thinking about this. Ask what brought it on. Are you reacting to something has happened? Or are you acting on something that you have planned out? I would try to see if there was any other way to resolve the issues, if there were issues," Gibbs said before once more pausing. "I won't hold you back, but I won't give you up easily either. I said you were mine and I meant it."

Tim snorted.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"We apparently have a very different meaning regarding that phrase," Tim finally muttered.

"How so?" Gibbs asked, staring at Tim and waiting for an honest response.

Tim stiffened as he slowly admitted, "I've felt neglected, pushed aside, and left behind more often than not on and by every member of this team."

"Tim,"

"We should probably head back, we have a case to solve," Tim interrupted.

Gibbs continued to stare at him.

"Boss,"

Gibbs sighed, "No more."

"What?" Tim couldn't help but wonder what Gibbs meant by that. He couldn't mean that they didn't have a case anymore. Maybe he meant no more delays? No more discussions? Tim frowned, Ziva told him not to over think things, but how could he not?

"You're right," Gibbs finally commented.

Tim nodded, sure that they would now be heading back to the yard. He wasn't aware when, but at some point during their conversation, Gibbs had stopped driving and had pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"No more putting the case before people," Gibbs clarified.

"What do you mean?" Tim wasn't even going to try to decipher that, the case came first, right?

"I took advantage of you. I trained you, but I could have, should have done so much more. You're very good in the field, but better than any of us with the computers, better than anyone I've ever seen. I _did_ leave you behind. I wanted to solve the cases quickly, at any cost."

"Boss, I understand," Tim began, and he did, which was why he had never previously mentioned how he felt.

"Maybe you do, but part of you still resents it and you should," Gibbs added. "I brought you in as a field agent, but ended up sticking you behind a desk most of the time. But even understanding it is not an excuse to neglect you, leave you behind. I'm damn lucky it didn't turn around and bite me in the ass," Gibbs added, causing his companion to lift an eyebrow.

"Feeling neglected, left behind, and pushed aside, are those some of the reasons why you might quit?" Gibbs asked softly.

Tim just shrugged.

"Why else?"

Tim reluctantly shared a few of his other reasons, being treated as a joke and feeling like he wasn't respected by his coworkers were among the top five.

Gibbs sat and listened in dismay. How could he have been so wrong about what was going on with his team? He couldn't let this continue. Releasing a deep breath, he realized he needed to share with his young agent what he thought.

" _You_ are a main reason why this team is so effective, and not just because of the computer things you do.

"You ground Tony. You balance him out, seemingly never letting his pranks or teasing get to you, never getting angry or retaliating. When you appeared unbothered by it, I didn't interfere. Since you never came to me, I assumed you weren't having issues with it. I'm not surprised you never filed a complaint with the director about him, but I was surprised that you never talked to me. Now, I understand that it was just you feeling like you couldn't. That you pushed it aside to get the job done. That amazes me even more," Gibbs admitted. "The fact you didn't show your anger speaks a lot about your character. It does not make you weak," he added when Tim winced at the previous statement. "It never should've gotten as far as it did, and that's on me.

"You soften Ziva. You talk and interact with her with respect as a person, not just because of her abilities. You correct her with patience, not mocking ridicule. You were the first one to reach out to her when she joined the team, regardless of how you felt personally.

"You speak Abby," he continued with a smirk. "You understand Abby. Abby likes routine, nothing changing. You make her try harder, learn new things. The two of you working on a computer is something to behold," he explains. "You can practically see the wheels turning as you bounce ideas back and forth, to break the case.

"You are patient with me when I get frustrated with technology, and your explanations," he added with a wry grin. "You handle everything that comes at you. Anything I throw at you, everything I ask you to do, you get it done, often making it look easy.

"I often think you are the glue that holds us together. It is obvious that you care for each of us, something that none of us had visibly returned in the past. We know that you will have our back in the field, we can rely on you and trust you. Unfortunately, that also means that we quite often probably take you for granted," Gibbs shared.

"I broke my own rules when it came to you. I assumed and I wasted good," Gibbs sighed as he looked at a still and silent Tim. "You're a good man, a good agent. You're strong, you're resilient. You've grown and learned a lot since we first met, and I have never regretted adding you to my team. I know that these words don't mean much. It is how I act and change _after_ this conversation that matters. All I ask is that you give me a chance to show you that you are important to me. As important as Tony, Ziva, and Abby."

He then informed Tim that he would be speaking with Tony and Abby about how they interacted and treated him. Tim immediately protested, stating that it would not mean much if it was an order. If he could not garner their respect himself, than perhaps he did not deserve it. Gibbs argued that at this point, they were acting on habit and you couldn't expect it to change unless something made it change. Tim however was adamant that Gibbs not be that catalyst. Reluctantly Gibbs agreed, before warning Tim, that although he wouldn't talk to them now, he would not be silent in the future when he did observe them being disrespectful.

* * *

"You're back," Tony commented when Tim and Gibbs finally entered the bullpen. "Did you let McGrandma drive, boss? Is that what took so long? Or perhaps those directions he had weren't so good for the return trip?"

As Gibbs' hand rose to issue a head slap, Tim caught his eye and subtly shook his head. He could handle Tony, after all, this wasn't anything new to him.

"Whatcha got?" Gibbs asked instead, looking at Tony.

After a moment of silence, Tony understood that there would be no explanation for their delayed return and provided what he found, Ziva often jumping in with pertinent information as well.

Nodding, Gibbs replied, "Ziva, Tim, check out his home address," he ordered, waiting for the two to start moving before giving Tony his assignment.

* * *

Tim frowned as he snuck another glance at Ziva.

"No comment?" he finally asked, the silence getting to him.

She turned to him with a frown, "About what?"

"Seriously?" Tim replied in shock.

She shrugged. "I figure if you wanted me to know, you would bring it up or mention it. I did not want to bug you for information that you might not want to share."

"Ziva, you can ask me anything. Especially since I know you are doing it because you ca-are concerned. If I don't want to talk, I will tell you that as well," he reminded her. "You are my friend, one of my closest friends," he admitted.

Ziva gave him a soft smile. "In that case, what happened? Tony suspected something happened on the way to the crime scene. He was like a boar, no a bear," she corrected, "with a sore paw the entire drive back."

"What was his theory?" Tim asked curiously. "Did he think we went to Vegas to get married?"

Ziva laughed at his question before becoming serious. "No, he wondered if you had another conference in the car, perhaps talking to Gibbs about leaving the team."

Tim went silent at her words.

"Tim?" she asked hesitantly. "Did you talk to Gibbs about leaving?"

"I…yes and no."

Ziva frowned, "Well, thank you for clearing that up," she finally replied when Tim didn't elaborate on his answer.

"Sorry," Tim apologized. "It was a good talk," he admitted. "And I didn't give my notice at any time during the conversation," he added.

"But you talked about it."

Tim shrugged, "We talked about how I was feeling. What I thought about the teams interactions, especially regarding me. How I felt or rather, didn't feel, like I belonged."

Ziva sucked in a breath, "I…it was a good talk, you said."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, I think it was. Gibbs explained some of the things he said and did, what he meant by them; I shared how I interpreted them."

Ziva nodded, "So what happens now?"

"Now, we focus and try to solve this case," Tim replied, as he pulled up in front of the victim's house.

* * *

11-6-18


	49. The Monday That Wouldn't End (J49)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Hey, Abs," Tony said a few minutes after he entered the lab when Abby didn't acknowledge him. He had been standing in the doorway for a few minutes, first, surprised that she hadn't heard the elevator and turned to greet who was approaching and then, worried when she hadn't said a word or moved. She was still in the same position she had been when he arrived, sitting in front of her computer, the screen off, staring at glumly chin resting in her hands.

"Oh, hey, Tony."

"Everything okay?"

Abby shrugged.

"C'mon, you can share with Uncle Tony."

"Uncle Tony?" She repeated giving a snort, "I'm the same age as you." A look of horror overcame her face, "Forget I said that."

Tony grinned, "Only if you tell me what's going on."

"I don't know."

Tony frowned, as he looked around, looking for anything that might indicate what had her worried. "Computer or Major Mass Spec causing you trouble?"

"Oh, no, this has nothing to do with the lab or a case."

"Oh…than what?"

Another shrug, "Everything's different."

"Like what?"

"Timmy not talking to me about his _friend_ ; Ziva getting serious about her guy; Gibb-."

"Calling McGee by his first name," Tony injected, sharing what was on his mind.

"No, I was going to say…Wait." Abby stopped and stared at Tony. "He called Timmy by his first name?"

"Not called, _calling_ ," Tony corrected, emphasis on present tense. "He's also sending him out to the field, leaving me behind to start searches and follow up with you."

Abby glared at him, "You don't have to sound so upset at that."

"The searches, not you," Tony replied with a smile, hoping that would get him out of the doghouse with the scientist.

"Hmm, I suggest you bring a Caf-Pow down with you next time," she muttered as she turned back around to face the computer.

"Done," he agreed before continuing their conversation. "Gibbs also refrained from 'redirecting' my attention at the request of 'Tim'." Surprising Tony used air quotes on the last word.

Both had Abby staring at him wide-eyed. "Timmy stopped Gibbs from slapping you?"

Tony nodded and the two fell silent as they thought about what that might mean.

"Pod people?" Abby suggested.

"I wish."

Abby looked at him again, "What are you thinking?"

Tony just shook his head, not wanting to share his thoughts.

"Come on, Tony. I shared my theory with you."

"I…Gibbs knows something,"

"Gibbs knows _every_ thing," Abby corrected.

"I'm serious, Abby. Gibbs knows something about Tim," he stated, as he began to pace. "This all began a month ago when Tim pulled Gibbs into a _private_ conference. I…since then, Gibbs has told me to be careful about my actions, he specifically mentioned McGee," Tony added worriedly. "He keeps talking about actions and consequences."

"And?"

"And I wonder if, during that conference, McGee mentioned something about another job."

"McGee has another job?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "No, but like you, he gets unsolicited offers. If Gibbs thought he was thinking about leaving…"

Abby frowned, "Gibbs wouldn't give in to threats or blackmail. He doesn't back down for the Director, he wouldn't for McGee. He runs the team how he wants."

"If Probie left, I don't know if there would still be a team," Tony admitted.

"I…no, hold that thought, we'll get back to it," Abby promised herself, refusing to get sidetracked. "Just because he gets offers doesn't mean that he's seriously thinking about leaving," she pointed out. "Something else has to be going on."

The two fell silent for a few moments as they pondered recent events.

"You spend more time with him than I do," Abby began, "How was he the days or weeks before the conference with Gibbs?"

"Ziva spent more time with him than me, then and now," Tony admitted with a shrug. "They still carpool into work together at least three times a week," he stated, before answering the question, "But fine. Probie-like."

"So, maybe the conference was a coincidence?" she asked hopefully.

"Against the rules," Tony pointed out. "But…" he began before pausing to gather his thoughts.

"What? What but?" Abby eagerly asked.

Tony frowned as he thought about more recent events. "Everything seemed to be normal when we got the call about the crime scene earlier. We were in the bullpen, I was teasing Tim, then Ziva about her ringtone when she reappeared. Gibbs acted like Gibbs, called McGee McGee," he informed his friend.

"So what changed?"

"They rode to and from the scene together," Tony stated. "McGee got them their quicker due to a shortcut he found; at the scene, Gibbs called him Tim."

"Ha! I knew it! Pod People!" Abby excitedly interrupted, "They must've run into aliens on that shortcut."

"Or they had another conference," Tony added dryly.

"I…oh," a deflated Abby reluctantly agreed. "But about what? Why? I mean, how often does Gibbs have him and Timmy together? Why not you and Timmy? Or Ziva and Timmy?"

"It doesn't happen that often," Tony shrugged as he thought about it, mind flashing back to earlier that day. "McGee wasn't surprised that Gibbs had them together," he slowly stated, as he realized the truth. In fact, Probie seemed to be expecting it.

"Why not?"

"Hush, I'm thinking," Tony waved her away, as he once more continued pacing, remembering the events from earlier that day. "He mentioned leaving."

"Gibbs?" Abby asked incredulously.

"McGee," Tony corrected.

"Leaving the team?"

Tony shook his head, causing Abby to sigh in relief. "No, leaving DC, leaving NCIS."

"What why?" Abby cried despairingly.

"Peggy."

"It's that serious?"

"It looks like it is for him," Tony stated glumly.

A determined look overcame Abby's face, "We can't let that happen."

Tony snorted, "Abby, how can we prevent it?"

She shrugged, "We'll just have to figure out who Peggy is before things irrevocably change."

Tony snorted, "You've already dug into his phone records and the GPS on his car, what else can you do?"

"We," Abby corrected with a smile, "We."

Before Tony could ask what she meant, several of Abby's 'babies' beeped indicating that they had results. From that point on, the only thing consuming their mind was the case.

* * *

Tim and Ziva didn't get a chance to continue their conversation, the return trip to the yard was mostly silent, as Tim spent the majority of it on his phone, either starting new searches based on evidence they found at the victim's house or texts with Tony regarding the results Abby received.

Once they returned to the bullpen, it seemed like Gibbs wouldn't leave Tim alone with Tony or Ziva, making her wonder exactly what was said between the two earlier.

In some ways, Tim was relieved that he and Ziva couldn't continue their conversation. Yes, he knew he started it, by asking why she wasn't asking and then telling her she could ask him anything, but it was only after he began talking that he remembered that the reason the subject of leaving came up was because of something Tim said. Something that was directly linked to his growing feelings for her, something Tim has no intention of sharing with Ziva.

* * *

"Hey, Ducky," Tim greeted as he entered autopsy. "I brought food for you and Jimmy."

"Oh, thank you, Timothy, you are a life saver."

"My favorite was always Butter Rum or Pineapple," Jimmy stated with a goofy smile that disappeared when the other two looked at him. "You know, life savers, the candy?"

"Yes, Mr. Palmer, we know," Ducky stated patiently, "Now, why don't you take a break and grab some fresh air while I finish this report."

"I can…oh, okay," Jimmy stated when Ducky gave him a pointed look.

"Is everything all right?" Tim asked once Jimmy left autopsy.

"Yes, yes, never better," the ME stated cheerfully.

Tim frowned.

"Well, obviously not for Captain Bry, Ensign Ingles, and Petty Officer Sharkles," Ducky added.

"Right," Tim nodded in agreement. "Well, I should probably head back upstairs."

"Surely you have a moment to join me for tea," Ducky said, indicating the pot in front of him.

"I, well," Tim hesitated.

"That settles it," Ducky stated, pouring Tim a cup and handing it to him. "We have not had an opportunity to talk lately."

"I guess not," Tim admitted. "It seems like we've had one long tough case after another."

"Yes," Ducky agreed, since he had been involved with most of those cases. "Luckily, you were able to take a few extra days R&R."

Tim snorted, "I just wish things were calmer. It's already Monday and I feel wiped."

Ducky nodded, "Just make sure you take care of yourself. There are some nasty illnesses circulating. As you know, less than 10 days ago, Ziva was sick."

"Hmm,"

"In fact," Ducky began as if sharing a secret, "I do believe she 'shared' her germs," he smirked as Tim started coughing. "Yes, she talked to me last week, it seemed as if her _friend_ fell ill. Based on the symptoms she shared, I recommended a trip to the hospital."

"You did?" Tim croaked out.

"Yes, indeed," Ducky nodded sagely. "Apparently the poor boy's temperature was rather worrisome. Ziva, however, informed me that she doubted he would agree. She also said that the relationship was too new for her to risk it by forcing him or calling an ambulance. Now, let me ask you, Timothy, what kind of relationship would that be if he ended things simply because she was concerned about his health?"

"I…I don't know," Tim admitted.

"Why, no type of relationship worth saving," Ducky answered. "In fact, I shared with her a time when I was younger…" Tim's thoughts drifted off as Ducky continued with his tale.

"Now, what about you?"

"What?" Tim asked, jolting back to reality and realizing that Ducky had asked him a question.

"I'm fine, fully recovered" Tim stated, instinctively, not fully realizing what he had admitted.

"That is not what I meant," Ducky murmured to himself, sipping his tea. "I hear you have begun a new relationship as well."

"Oh, I…yeah," Tim finally answered.

"You must tell me all about the girl who has captured your heart."

"I…what?" Tim asked, "I never said…" his voice trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

"My dear boy, you don't have to," Ducky smiled. "It is obvious. The mere mention of her seems to make your eyes sparkle."

Tim blushed in embarrassment at that description, very thankful that Tony was not present, since he was sure he would've never heard the end of his 'sparkling eyes'. "I…it's complicated."

"Tsk, tsk," Ducky clucked. "Youngsters today, making everything more complicated than it needs to be. You care for her, right?"

"Yes," Tim definitely couldn't deny that. After all, he cared about Ziva _before_ they started this…Tim sighed, he still wasn't sure what to call it. To him, it _was_ a relationship, but he also knows how it began, how Ziva thinks of it. "More each day," he admitted.

"And she cares for you," Ducky stated, surprisingly not in the form of a question. "That is all that matters, that you care for one another."

"I…it's complicated," Tim repeated.

Ducky just shook his head, "Then I suggest you talk with her and uncomplicated it. That is the only way to handle these things."

"Right," Tim nodded before standing up. "Well, I'd better go before Gibbs has my head."

"Very well," Ducky replied, also standing. "I hope all goes well with your lady friend."

"Thanks," Tim replied sincerely as he exited autopsy. "Me too," he muttered softly, as he pressed the button to call the elevator, "Me too."

"Talking to yourself, Probie?" Tony asked softly from behind him. He had exited the stairs and had been surprised when Tim walked right past him, not acknowledging him. He had been even more surprised when he heard his partner talk.

"Tony! Geesh," Tim muttered, after calming down. "What are you doing here?"

"Had a few questions for Ducky."

"Oh, right," Tim nodded, "Well, he's in there."

Tony nodded, "Doesn't explain why you were talking to yourself."

Tim shrugged, "Just a lot on my mind."

"I'm guessing not case related."

Tim shrugged.

"Peggy related?" Tony asked shrewdly, only to receive another shrug in reply. "Work related?"

"Gotta go," Tim stated as the elevator finally arrived and he stepped in. "Gibbs is probably wondering where I am."

"Probie," Tony called, only to have the elevator doors close before he could say another word.

* * *

1-13-18

Sorry for the long wait...holidays...family...work (retail)...

Hope you liked it...Got Ducky involved a bit...


	50. Tues-Wed-Thurs, March 10-12 (J50)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

Can't believe this is chapter 50...

* * *

If Monday was the day that didn't end, Tuesday was the day that disappeared. The team was so wrapped up in the case, that Tim had barely noticed that the day had come and gone. Surprisingly, Gibbs had dismissed them each night, granted, it was late, and could barely be called the same day, but he did send them home to get some rest, telling them to be back in the office by 0700 the next day.

Both Tim and Ziva were so tired, that neither one attempted a conversation of any kind. In fact, other than, 'We running tomorrow?' or 'Who's driving?' not much was said between the two while in the car, since the passenger took advantage of the opportunity to get some extra sleep.

It took them some time, but they were finally able to close the case Wednesday. Knowing how tired everyone was and that down time was needed, Gibbs dismissed them for the day, stating that reports could be completed the following day.

Tim and Ziva hadn't talked anymore about what happened with Gibbs. One of the reasons why Tim still hadn't shared any more of his and Gibbs's conversation with Ziva, was because he was waiting to see what happened. During this investigation, Gibbs not only made sure the young man got rest and food, but occasionally _asked_ Tim not only for his ideas and opinions on cases, but if he would mind following up on some leads via computer rather than out in the field. The best part of his interactions with Gibbs was that the older man did it out of sight and earshot of his teammates, something Tim was very grateful for.

The change in Gibbs was something Tim knew he could get used to, he only hoped it would last. It was easy to change while something was fresh in your mind, but in a few weeks, a month, that is when Tim knew the real test will come into play.

Taking her cues from Tim, Ziva kept away from discussing his interactions with Gibbs from earlier in the week and instead, tried to keep their conversation more casual and light-hearted. Ziva had teasingly asked Tim if she looked like a 'Peggy', while Tim had commented that Ziva did not exist. That had required some additional explanation, which Tim had provided, noticing that Ziva's frown had gotten deeper with every word that he had uttered.

Before long, the two were comfortably situated in Tim's apartment, partaking in their usual Wednesday routine of Kitchen Sink take out.

"We should see a movie," Ziva decided after the two had finished cleaning the dinner dishes.

Tim frowned, "You want to go to the movies?" Now that he thought about it, that wasn't a bad idea. Going to the movies together could keep him from accidentally mentioning something about either his conversation with Gibbs or his feelings for Ziva.

"What? No, I meant that we should watch a movie here."

"I don't have much," Tim stated.

"Please," Ziva rolled her eyes, "There are tons of movies in there," she said, nodding to his room.

Eyes narrowed, Tim asked, "And how do you know that?" It was true, so there was no reason to deny it, still he didn't know how she learned this fact.

"I…I might have seen them when you were gone with Sarah and I was watching Jethro," she admitted.

Tim crossed his arms and looked at her, "You said you didn't snoop." His eyes letting her know that he wasn't mad or upset, just curious.

"I didn't. I didn't unlock anything or rifle through your desk," she explained, "though I did take a considerable amount of time looking through your bookcase and record collection."

Tim nodded, "Understandable, those are in the living room," the implied question of what was she doing in his bedroom was left unsaid. He didn't mind that she had been in there, she had been in or through their numerous times, first, when using the bathroom and most recently while he had been sick. Mostly, he was just curious about how she had learned the contents of that cupboard.

She smiled, guessing his thoughts, "On my way to the bathroom I noticed that one of the cabinet doors was opened. Knowing you, I figured it was unintentional so went over to close it, to prevent Jethro from getting into it," she told him. "I saw that it was filled with DVD's when I did that. I didn't read any of the cases, nor did I open any other door or drawer," she stated. "Though I did notice that your collection might be able to rival Tony's," she added with a grin that asked if she was forgiven.

Tim snorted, "Thank you for closing it. You were right, it was an oversight that I didn't close it completely. Jethro can have a tendency to chew on things when I leave him alone for too long," he stated, grinning back at her, letting her know that there was nothing to forgive. "And no, my collection doesn't even come close to Tony's, for one thing, most of the movies in my collection are either favorites from when I was younger or Sci-Fi, not much from the last decade," he admitted.

"So, can I look at them now?" she asked, "Under your supervision, of course," she smirked.

"Smart ass," he muttered under his breath. "You do remember that the TV is in the bedroom, and that the only place to sit in there is my bed, right?"

"I know I can trust you, in the past month we've shared not only a hotel room a couple of times, but also a couch and a bed," she responded, heading towards his room.

Not being able to argue with that, Tim just shook his head and shrugged as she walked away. "You know, we _can_ go to the movies if you want."

"No, not tonight, I'd rather stay here, stretch out on your bed, be comfortable, and watch a movie."

"Who am I to argue with that?" Tim muttered. Well, at least he could tell Tony that Zi- _Peggy_ was in his bed.

"Hey, Tim, get in here and help me pick out a movie," she called.

"Anything is fine with me," he replied.

"I have no doubt about that, after all, it is your collection, I just want know more about some of these. Many of these seem similar to one another, part of a series, I want to make sure that I am choosing the first one."

"Just to let you know, some of those are Sarah's," Tim shared as he entered his room. "What kind of movie are you interested in tonight? I warn you though, I don't have much in the way of horror."

"Just as well, if I watch a scary movie, I might not be able to fall asleep tonight," Ziva admitted. Tim raised an eyebrow in surprise at that revelation, he never would have suspected that. "It is not necessarily because I am scared," she responded to his silent inquiry, "but rather that the adrenaline is coursing through my body and I need some kind of activity to offset it."

"Oh," Tim responded, moving his gaze and thoughts back to the movies and away from her body and the images her words invoked in him. "Um, as you mentioned, a lot of these are part of a series. Perhaps some other time we can pick one and have another movie marathon."

"That sounds good," Ziva agreed. "For tonight, perhaps you can pull a few movies out and I will choose one of those for us to watch."

"Okay," Tim agreed, setting about his task and reviewing his collection. About ten minutes later he handed some movies to Ziva, who remained seated on the floor in front of the cabinet, watching him. Gremlins, ET, Crocodile Dundee, Top Gun, War Games, Labyrinth, Back to the Future, Footloose, and Overboard. "Since you didn't specify a genre, I tried to get an assortment, the last two are Sarah's," he added.

"Hmm," Ziva replied, already engrossed in the movie descriptions.

"Um, I'll go make us some popcorn," Tim eagerly offered an excuse to leave the room and lose himself in a task, when he caught himself staring at her. "Can't watch a movie without popcorn," he added.

When he returned, carrying a bowl of popcorn and two glasses, it was to find Ziva comfortably lounging on his bed, shoes off, leaning against pillows propped up against the headboard, remote in her hand.

"Just in time," she called, patting the spot beside her. Hesitatingly, Tim approached, handed her one glass, then the bowl of popcorn before placing the other glass on the nightstand next to him and gingerly climbed onto his bed. Once he was settled, she started the movie and the familiar opening scenes darted across the screen.

Tim bolted up, "Hey, this isn't one that I picked," he stated.

"I know, but I found the title too intriguing to ignore," she stated apologetically, as she pressed the pause button on the remote, "Do you mind?"

"I…if you already had a movie in mind, why did you ask for my help to select one?" Tim asked in bewilderment.

"Because at the time, I did not," she answered. "It was only when you were picking out some, when your hand lingered over the case, did I notice it."

"I didn't choose it for a reason," Tim stated the obvious.

"If you like, we can switch to one of the others," she offered, holding up War Games, "This one looks just as interesting."

Tim groaned, she would have him choose between two movies both involving smarter than average teens. "No, this one is fine," he agreed.

Tim was glad he had most, if not all of the movie memorized. He tried to relax as they watched the movie, to pay more attention to the tv than the girl in his bed, but it definitely wasn't easy. He could not seem to forget that Ziva was next to him, lying beside him in his bed. In fact, he had to keep repeating to himself what Ziva had said earlier, about trusting him. Obviously she didn't _want_ him to try anything, was trusting that he wouldn't. Betraying that trust was a surefire way to not only end this 'relationship', but also their friendship, not to mention his life, he thought, remembering the many skills Ziva possessed.

As the movie continued, it seemed natural to him that she had shifted and was now leaning on him as if he was her personal pillow, his arm lightly wrapped around her. He felt like he was teenager again, so aware of every move she made, every breath she took. Of course, the fact that just when he seemed to relax, either their hands would meet in the popcorn bowl, or she would touch him to get his attentions so she could ask a question. Sometimes the question would be about the movie, but often, it was more personal, like asking him if he had gone through something similar.

When his torture, or rather, the movie, finally ended, Ziva stretched before standing up. "That was nice. We will definitely have to do this again," she said, heading into the bathroom.

"Sure," he replied, deciding he would have to buy a TV for the living room before that happened. He didn't know where he would put it, but if movies were going to be a regular thing, especially the movie marathon he already promised, he was going to have to figure something out. Of course, there was another option, "You know, we can always watch some movies at your place. We haven't spent much time there, just when you were sick."

"We shall see," she stated, as she exited the room. "I am tempted to stay," she admitted, causing Tim's head to jerk up in shock. "I feel so relaxed and comfortable that the last thing I want to do is drive home, even if it is fairly close. Of course, if I do that, that law will come into play and I would need my go bag for a case tomorrow and it will not contain any clean clothes."

"Law?" Tim echoed, his brain had stopped processing her words after her initial comment about staying.

"Yes, you know, Muffy or something like that," she frowned, as she tried to remember. "Seems to apply in the worst of situations. You spoke of it regarding this scenario, when we returned from Florida."

"Oh, right. Murphy's Law," Tim supplied, finally understanding what she meant. "And if you don't feel up to driving, you are more than welcome to stay, I can sleep on the couch," he rushed to reassure her. "If you really fear Murphy's Law, we can set the alarm early so you have time to return to your place to get ready for work."

Ziva gave it some thought, looking at him searchingly before shaking her head, "No, that is okay, it is a short drive and not really that late. I will be fine," she confirmed, as she left his room and started to gather her belongings.

Tim nodded, partly relieved, "If you are sure?"

Ziva nodded an affirmation and proceeded to put on her shoes and coat, McGee imitating her actions. He automatically grabbed his phone and his keys before reaching for Jethro's leash, and held the door open for her, escorting her outside and to her car. "Text me that you got home okay."

Ziva smiled at the concern he showed before first petting Jethro and then turning to Tim. She embraced him in a quick hug before placing a kiss on his lips, entering her car and driving off, Tim staring after her.

* * *

Tim had a difficult time sleeping Wednesday night. He had remained standing in the parking lot staring at the road long after her car taillights had disappeared from view. In fact, it was only her text message, _'Home safe' with a heart emoji_ that had jolted him back to reality.

He quickly returned to his apartment and room, determined to fall asleep and not think about Ziva. That was easier said than done since his bed and pillow smelled like her perfume. He ended up spending a restless night thinking about Ziva, about how he felt, the kiss she gave him before she left, the emoji in her text, and wondered if she was thinking about him as more than a friend or partner.

In the morning, he was no closer to figuring out an answer. However, he did make one decision and that was to distance himself from her, temporarily, and see if it was just the situation that was causing the feelings or if they were real.

He immediately put his plan into action, texting Ziva once he knew she was up, and informing her that he would be driving himself into work that morning as he had some errands he needed to do afterwards. Ziva was curious about why he had not remembered about his errands the previous evening, nor why he had not mentioned this then, but decided not to comment. After all, as Tim had told her, they did not need to live in each other's pockets.

Now, however, it was late Thursday afternoon and Ziva was beginning to think that Tim was avoiding her. He rarely looked at her and when she tried to tease him about who would complete their reports first, he had just nodded and returned to his work. Not even gloating when he had finished before both her and Tony. The only reason why she had yet to follow him into the men's room and confront him about this is because he seemed to be treating everyone the same way.

Tony had also tried to engage Tim in conversation, also without success.

The senior field agent couldn't understand what was going on with the team, and he meant the _entire_ team. The only one not acting weird was Palmer, and well, _that_ was weird.

Ducky seemed to take any excuse to come up and visit the bullpen that day, something he rarely did, at least not without a specific reason for the visit. While there, he wouldn't say much, which again, was unusual, but instead just watched intently as if preparing to perform a living autopsy on them.

Every spare moment Abby had, she was calling either Tony or Ziva or appearing in the bullpen hoping to talk to one of them. Although she greeted Gibbs if he was around, she hadn't said a word to Tim, not that Tim had noticed, he seemed solely focused on the computers and files in front of him.

Ziva was annoyed, that was obvious. Tony wasn't sure why, but suspected that she had a fight with guy in tights and was taking it out on him and Tim. Whenever Tony teased McGee or used a McNickname, Ziva would glare at him. She could also be found occasionally glaring at Probie, especially when he didn't respond to her comments. For some reason, she seemed happy when McGee also ignored him.

McGee seemed to be ignoring anything and everything that was happening in the bullpen, not participating in any conversation that wasn't work related. Tony really hoped that it just meant that he had an interesting cold case he was working on, or that he might have figured it out, but somehow, Tony didn't believe that was what was happening.

Gibbs seemed to be keeping more of an eye on his male agents than usual. McGee, Tony thought he understood, especially if something did happen during the drive to the crime scene, but himself? The SFA thought with a frown, he wasn't involved in that situation. He also noticed that Gibbs seemed to scrutinize Ziva's every action and interaction as well.

The entire atmosphere of the bullpen was driving Tony crazy. He really wanted answers, but so far, no one was answering his questions. Or, Tony thought, he just wasn't asking the right ones. With a nod, Tony decided that he would continue to observe and gather clues about what was going on, then he would be able to figure his teammates out.

* * *

1-14-19

Guess what 'tomorrow' is (in the story)...Friday the 13th...


	51. Friday the 13th of March (J51)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Probie, do you know what today is?" Tony asked as soon as he entered the bullpen Friday morning. He was determined that today would be a better day than yesterday, and one way to make sure that happened was to not allow McGee to avoid him.

"Friday the thirteenth," Tim replied with a roll of his eyes, grateful that only three of these could occur in a calendar year, his focus still on the cold case file in front of him.

"Friday, the Thirteenth," Tony announced, as if Tim had not responded. "Be very careful not to walk under ladders, let a black cat cross your path, or-"

"Why?" Ziva interrupted. "Why should he not do those? Yes, he is allergic to cats, but having one cross his path, whether it be black or not should not trigger an allergic reaction."

"Ziva, Ziva, Ziva," Tony commiserated sadly, "You have much to learn about the American Culture."

"I'm not superstitious," Tim commented, before Ziva could respond.

"Maybe you should be," Tony commented dryly. "I am sure that there is a higher power that determines how our days, our lives, and our loves lives, go. Perhaps by becoming superstitious you can change your fate."

"My fate," Tim repeated doubtfully.

"Yes," Tony agreed with a nod. "A lot of bad things happen on this day, accidents, fights,"

"Self-fulfilling prophecy," Tim injected.

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't tempt fate," Tony continued, "Not if you want Peggy to become your girlfriend."

Ziva frowned, "And Timothy walking under a ladder would prevent that from occurring," she stated, her voice tinged with confusion.

"Stranger things have happened," Tony replied mysteriously.

"I really cannot think of any," Tim muttered, hoping Tony would drop the subject. "If it makes you happy, I will do my best not to walk under ladders or let a black cat cross my path, okay? I won't open any umbrellas inside, if I find any pennies, heads up, I'll make sure to grab them, tails up, I'll turn them over, and if I happen to spill any salt at lunch, I will throw a pinch of it over my shoulder."

Tony stared at McGee in shock. Since when did Probie give in so easily, especially regarding something so outlandish as superstitious impact on one's love life.

* * *

"Timothy, are you really going to avoid cats and ladders today, as well as everything else you mentioned?" Ziva asked quietly, hoping he would actually respond to her today. Gibbs had left for coffee, while Tony said he had to check on something regarding the cold case he was reviewing.

Tim shrugged, "I always try to avoid cats whenever possible."

"You cannot believe that those actions will affect this relationship."

Tim startled at her words, was she referring to them as being in a relationship? "No, but by saying what I did, it rendered Tony silent, and that is always a good thing."

Ziva smiled, "Yes, yes it is," she agreed, pausing for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"Ziva, I am feeling fine. I am fully recovered an-"

"I am not referring to that," she interrupted. "I know that you have had a lot on your mind, things that happened at the beginning of the week you have not wanted to share, and that is fine," she added. "But I have missed spending time with you, with my friend."

"I have missed you, too," he admitted. "I know I should've said something," Tim continued. "I just couldn't, not while it was all jumbled up in my head still. Even mentioning that I didn't want to talk about it would've had it forefront in my mind."

Ziva nodded, understanding that Tim had to pretend it didn't exist in order to keep his thoughts from dwelling on it.

"I understand. Friends again?"

"Friends," Tim replied with a smile, both of them returning to work when Tony reentered the bullpen.

A few minutes later, Tim muttered, "Rule 39."

Remembering catching Tim talking to himself at the elevator, Tony smirked, "Talking to your imaginary friend again, Probie?"

Ziva glared him an angrily before turning to Tim, "You have something?"

"I think I do," Tim replied eagerly. "I think I figured this out."

Tony stood up and approached Tim's desk to take a look at the case he was working on. "Really?" he asked incredulously. "This case is 7 years old. I remember this case. I worked on it a few years ago, didn't find anything."

Tim just smirked and pointed to the computer.

"Okay, McMagicFingers," Tony greeted, causing Tim to wince, "What did you find?"

" _Please_ don't ever use that nickname again," Tim began.

"Oh, why? Is that what Peggy calls you?" Tony asked with a smirk before Tim told the senior agent and Ziva what he had found and how.

"Beautiful!" Tony announced, sounding impressed. "That is beautiful. Let's go," he ordered Tim.

Tim frowned, "Shouldn't we check with Gibbs? Not to mention follow up with the original investigator?"

"Ziva can do all of that," Tony replied dismissively. "Divide and conquer. It'll make this cold case get solved faster."

"Since you worked the case before and probably know the original investigator, perhaps you should follow up with him and I'll go with Tim," Ziva argued. "Either way, we should contact Gibbs."

"Contact me about what?" Gibbs asked as he reentered the bullpen.

Quickly, Tony outlined what McGee had done and found, before suggesting that he and McGee follow up on this idea while Ziva tries to contact the original investigator. Once he was finished, Gibbs looked at his team. After shooting what seemed like a warning glance to Tony, he inclined his head and said, "Go."

* * *

"So, is Peggy going to be in your next book?"

"Tony, I'm not talking about that with you."

"Why not?"

Tim just rolled his eyes in disbelief not answering.

Tony sighed, "At least tell me that things are going well with the two of you?"

"Why?" Tim suspiciously asked.

"No reason," Tony casually replied. Too casually for Tim's liking.

"Uh-Huh."

"C'Mon, McGee," Tony cried, losing his patience. "It's been over a month. You won't tell us who she is, how you met her, won't introduce her to us. Of course we are going to be curious, especially if it seems you are going gaga over her."

"Gaga?" Tim repeated in amusement.

"You talked about leaving your job and home because of her," Tony pointed out. "Gaga."

Tim shrugged.

"Why would you need to leave your job and home? Do you think that she's another stalker? Worried that she'll steal your identity? Hurt your family, friends, or your pet? Maybe try to kill your next girlfriend?"

Tim snorted, "She never even heard about the movie Fatal Attraction until I told her about it, I highly doubt she'll imitate it."

Tony whipped his head around in surprise before once more focusing on the road in front of him. "Wow. I don't know if I should be impressed that you know the movie, curious about how she didn't, worried that you're mind jumped there, or concerned that the two of you talked about it."

Tim shrugged and gave a half truth, "We've had a couple of movie nights."

"And Fatal Attraction was one of them?" Tony asked in sad resignation. "Probie, Probie, Probie," he continued, shaking his head. "Let me tell you how to properly host a movie night with your lady love," Tony said, before launching into various movie night goals and the flicks that could help those goals become a reality.

"Tony," Tim interrupted, not in the mood for a lecture. "I don't need any help."

"Fatal Attraction says otherwise," Tony began.

"We didn't watch it, it just came up in conversation," the younger man explained. "And the last movie night ended with the two of us curled up on my bed, neither wanting the night to end or her to go home," he added impulsively.

"Whoa? Really?"

Tim immediately wanted to take back those words when Tony started asking question after question about exactly what they had been watching, doing in bed, and if this had been during his 'R&R' time, or perhaps the reason why he needed the R&R time.

He was relieved when they got to their destination and Tony was forced to stop.

* * *

With their visit deemed a success, Tim and Tony returned to the car. Unfortunately, that also meant a return to their previous conversation, with Tony asking questions that were way too personal, even for him. Tim was very grateful when a new text came, allowing him to have a reason to ignore his partner.

 _'Is this a bad time?'_

 _'Actually, your timing is perfect,'_ just like you, Tim added silently, beginning to type that before backspacing. He was grateful that they were communicating via text, as he was not sure he could've kept himself from speaking those words.

 _'I wish Gibbs had sent the two of us out.'_

 _'You and me both'_ Tim replied. _'he might have if Tony hadn't opened his mouth and jumped in to explain what I had found'_

 _'He seemed pretty impressed by what you had done,'_ Ziva wrote.

 _'I think he was impressed because he suspected it would lead to a field trip'_

 _'Rule 8'_

"Yeah, yeah," Tim muttered, remembering their talk about giving Tony a chance and not assuming what his words or actions mean.

"Is that her?" Tony eagerly asked. "When am I going to meet her? We really should meet for dinner or at least drinks."

Tim rolled his eyes, not wanting to get into that conversation while stuck in a car with Tony.

 _'How difficult is Tony being?'_

 _'Eh, he was fine for a bit, then took things too far as usual. Now he is curious about who I am texting and trying to meet her, er, you. Suggested dinner or drinks again."_

 _'What did you say to him?'_

"Hey, you didn't answer, who are you texting?"

"Just a friend."

"The potential." Tony corrected, knowing that if it was any other friend, Tim would've supplied a name.

Tim rolled his eyes and just continued texting Ziva.

 _'I just ignored it…of course that made him ask again who I was texting.'_

 _'I am sorry that things are not going better'_

 _'It's fine, it's not like it's anything new or that I didn't expect it.'_

 _'Still, I wish things were different.'_

Tim smiled sadly at his phone and thought, me too, but only texted, _:)_

 _'I was wondering if you wanted to do something this weekend.'_

 _'I always want to spend time with you'_ Tim cringed as soon as he texted that. God, why didn't he have a filter in place? If he kept this up, Ziva would not only guess that he felt something, but probably move back to Israel to get away from him, worried that _he'll_ go all Fatal Attraction on her.

 _'I was thinking that we could have another movie night, perhaps tomorrow? I know that there are some other trilogies you mentioned. If you end up spending the night again, I promise that I will have all the ingredients for the breakfast pastry available so I can finally fulfill my promise of teaching you how to make it.'_

Tim's mouth went dry as he read that, a couple of thoughts running through his mind. First were Tony's words about being invited for breakfast. Nah, he thought, shaking his head in disbelief. She didn't mean that type of sleepover, he told himself, right? She couldn't have. Yeah, at this point in a regular- _real_ -relationship, it was possible, but this was Ziva. His friend. Sure, she flirted with him, but as Ziva had told him when all this started, that was second nature to her, a tool she often used without thinking. They were co-conspirators in the plan, they weren't together _together_.

 _'Tim?'_

 _'it is okay if you want to do something else. We did just watch a movie the other night. Perhaps you want to go out somewhere?'_

 _'Tim?'_

 _'Are you still there?'_

 _'Tim?'_

"Probie, you going to answer that?" Tony asked when Tim's phone beeped a couple of times indicating that he had unread text messages.

"What?" Tim asked, coming out of his thoughts.

"Wow that must be some racy text to get you to lose focus like that," Tony smirked.

Tim rolled his eyes and looked at his phone, responding to Ziva.

 _'Sorry, got distracted, then Tony started talking.'_

 _'I should probably let you go,'_

 _'No! Then I won't have an excuse to ignore him.'_

 _'So is that what I am now? A convenient excuse?'_

Tim grinned at her text, believing her to be teasing him once more, well two could play that game.

 _'Well, now that you mention it, after all, isn't that the reason this all started…'_

Tim continued to grin as he waited for a reply. Hoping she would take this opportunity to mention that their relationship was so much more.

As the minutes and miles passed without a response, Tim could feel his panic setting in. What did he do? He thought Ziva was teasing him with her text, so he replied in kind. What if she was serious? Did he hit a nerve, after all, the only reason why the two of them have gotten so close lately was to keep Tony off his back. Did she think that was the only reason he spent time with her? He knew it was a matter of time before he messed up this…relationship or whatever it was with Ziva, he just didn't expect it to happen over a misunderstanding. He had to fix this.

Tony watched from the corner of his eye as a panicked look replaced Tim's grin as he furiously started texting his friend.

"Oh God, oh God, Oh, God," Tim muttered, "What did I do?"

 _'No, Ziva, no. I'm sorry. I did not mean it like that.'_

"Geesh, McPanic, what did she say to get you so worked up? Did she delegate you to the friend zone for good?" He laughed, "Told you it was only a matter of time. At least you got a Valentine's Day date out of it."

 _'Really, I didn't.'_

"Tony, shut up," Tim angrily snapped, as he sent his second message to the unresponsive Ziva. He did not want her to be mad at him, and not just because she could literally kick his ass, or because he was afraid that she would, or because of the affect it would have on 'the plan', but rather because he did not want to lose her friendship.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Tim berated himself as he continued to stare at his phone. "I knew I was gonna mess this up, I just hoped to have more time with her."

"Hey, McGee, calm down," Tony tried to instruct his friend; though he had a feeling his words weren't heard.

He really had enjoyed the time they had spent together, especially the last two weeks since the two seemed to become more comfortable with each other physically. He did not want to ruin it because of his careless response. He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible until the plan's deadline. Yes, he knew he came up with a new plan yesterday about distancing himself from her, but truthfully, even though it was only one day, he missed her too much. It was too quiet in the car during his commute. Running with Jethro wasn't as much fun without her, breakfast was boring. It was as if everything was without color when she wasn't around. He wanted to enjoy the time with her while it lasted, knowing that it would soon be over.

He could barely believe that in a few weeks, 'the plan' would end. Tim shook his head, he could think about that later, right now he had to focus on setting things straight with Ziva.

 _'Zee?'_

No response.

 _'Ziva?'_

Still nothing.

 _'Please respond, I did not mean it that way.'_

He was not past begging.

 _'I'm sorry. Please don't doubt that you mean more to me than that. Please'_

Maybe it was time to share some of what he was thinking and feeling.

 _'I'm glad that we've gotten to know each other better and have deepened our friendship. I feel closer to you than I do to anyone else, including my family. I know our friendship can survive this, we just need to talk. Please don't shut me out._

He sighed as he sent that last message, hoping that it would strike a response in her. He then closed his phone, tightening his grip on it as he stared at it longingly, willing it to beep.

Was this the consequences Gibbs was worried about? Tim couldn't help but think.

"You okay, McSingle?" The SFA asked, worried about his teammate.

"Tony, for once in my life, can you do me a favor and just _shut up_ ," Tim replied quietly, clutching his phone.

"You weren't kidding when you said you really like her," Tony said softly, partly in awe. Tim looked away, not meeting his gaze and not saying a word. "Call her," he prodded. "If she's that important to you, call her."

"I'll talk to her when we get back to the yard," Tim responded.

"No. Call her now. If you don't she might think you don't really care and it's obvious that you do."

"Fifteen minutes won't make that much difference," Tim commented, trying to convince himself.

"It can make a hell of a lot of difference and you know it, Probie.

"Call her. If you're worried about me being present, don't be. I won't say a word. Not while you are on the phone with her and not after about anything I heard." Tim looked at him skeptically. "I promise, Tim," Tony vowed, meeting Tim's eyes briefly before refocusing on the road.

It was the use of his first name that had him nodding and once more reaching for his phone, taking the chance that Tony would keep to his promise.

"Hey," he began softly, "Just wanted to say I'm sorry. You mean so much more to me than that. I hope you believe that. I _never_ want you to think otherwise. Please call me, or text me. I-Bye," Tim finished abruptly, hanging up and staring morosely out the window.

Tony patted him on the shoulder, "Look, she's at work, right? Maybe something happened and she can't come to the phone. You know," he grinned, "A patient went into cardiac arrest or a student stuck a crayon up their nose," he joked.

Tim snorted, "Fourth grade, not kindergarten."

"Ah, so she _is_ a teacher," Tony grinned in triumph, before once more becoming serious. "I'm sure everything will be fine. If she doesn't call, go and see her in person, the first chance you get. Ziva told me that she couldn't resist your eyes."

"What?" Tim asked in alarm, turning in his seat to look at the older agent.

Tony shrugged, eyes still on the road ahead, "Yeah, Ziva mentioned something about how Peggy couldn't resist your eyes when you asked about grocery shopping. I still don't see how that mattered over the phone, but if it's true, use it to your advantage."

"Tony, I-"

"At least get her to listen," Tony interrupted. "I don't know what you said, er texted, to get that type of reaction, but I have no doubt that you didn't mean it the way it came across. Hey, if possible, blame it on autocorrect."

Tim couldn't help but snort at that.

"Okay, so we have a plan now," Tony stated firmly. "Hopefully she'll respond to your many texts or pleading voicemail, if not, after work, you'll chase her down, use those apparently irresistible eyes and plead for forgiveness. Until then, we need to focus on this case, so, get your head in the game, okay?"

Tim took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay…and Tony, thanks."

"No problem, Probie, no problem," Tony replied with a smile.

* * *

1-15-19

So...what do you guys think? Would love to hear from you...


	52. Fri Mar 13 Superstitious New Hobbies(J52

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"McGee!" Gibbs called as the two returned to the bullpen. He had watched the two agents come in, and for a team that might've just cracked a 7-year old case, the younger agent didn't look that happy. Unfortunately, work still continued, including a case Abby needed help with.

At the sound of his name, Tim looked away from the spot he was staring at, Ziva's empty desk. He had hoped she would be sitting there when he got back so he could apologize in person. He didn't even care if Tony overheard and it ruined the prank. His friendship, his relationship with Ziva was more important.

"Been waiting for you to get back. Abby needs your help in the lab, head down there now."

"I-whe-yes, boss," Tim finally said with one last lingering look at Ziva's desk.

Gibbs' lips thinned and his eyebrow rose at his apparently distressed agent as he watched the younger man head to the back stairwell. "Everything go all right, DiNozzo?" he asked, watching as the door shut behind his young agent.

"Yeah, no problem," Tony replied before looking up and seeing where his boss's gaze was. "Oh, you mean Probie. Yeah, he'll be fine, just had a brief misunderstanding with the potential."

"The potential what?" Gibbs growled, they shouldn't have run into their potential suspect during their field trip.

"Potential girlfriend. Well, he says she's still a potential, but I have my doubts. It's obvious that he cares about her a lot." Tony frowned, remembering the message Tim had left for her. "I think he almost said he loved her."

Gibbs frowned, wondering whether or not he should be worried. "Is that what caused the misunderstanding?"

"Nah," Tony said dismissively, "That happened when he called to apologize for the misunderstanding. He's a real mess over it. Texted her about a million times and even tried call her. He hasn't gotten a response yet, though. I tried to cheer him up, get his thoughts on other things, unfortunately, until he gets a chance to talk with her, iron things out, well, let's just say he won't be the Probie we all know and love."

"I see," Gibbs replied as he picked up his phone and hit a few keys. "Yeah, McGee's back and on his way to the lab, back staircase," he said before hanging up.

Huh, Tony thought as he listened in, that explained a lot. He, Ziva, and Tim had often wondered why they could rarely ever sneak up on Abby when she was in her lab, no doubt Gibbs calling and telling her that they were on their way was the reason. Taking that as a sign their conversation was over, he asked, "What's the plan for me?"

"Follow the money," Gibbs replied, hiding a smile when his SFA groaned in response.

* * *

After leaving the bullpen, Tim raced down the stairs. He figured that the faster he got to the lab, the faster he could start helping Abby, which meant the sooner that problem would be solved and the sooner he could seek out Ziva.

Not paying attention, his mind focused on Ziva, the trouble he caused and what he could say and do to fix it, he was surprised when he literally ran into someone on the staircase landing. Instinctively, he reached out to prevent them both from falling, or at least to try to prevent serious injury.

"Sorry," he automatically apologized before looking up. "Ziva!" he exclaimed as he realized who he held.

"Timothy," she breathed.

"I'm sorry," they both said at once. Usually Tim would be the gentleman and let Ziva continue, but he had something he needed to say. "No, you have nothing to be sorry for. I really didn't mean it that way at all. You mean so muc-"

"Tim, hush," Ziva said, pressing a finger to his mouth.

"But I ne-"

"Timothy, I am sorry. I know you did not mean it that way. I was teasing you," she explained. "It was just rotten luck that right after I sent that text, I got called away from my desk, leaving my phone behind. I actually did not check for texts or voicemail until a few moments ago."

Tim looked at her, not sure what could've been so important that it would preempt rule #3, always be reachable.

Seeing the confusion, Ziva gave him a small smile as she explained, "Gibbs pulled me into MTAC and I left my phone at my desk per protocol. After that, we went straight to the Director's office, then back to MTAC. I swear I felt like a ping pong ball going back and forth like that," She complained, before explaining that she then got so involved working on his cold case, she hadn't looked at her phone. She then gave him a brief update on what she had done and learned. "As you can see, it looks like your suspicions were right. Hopefully you will have everything you need to make an arrest and close this case, soon."

Tim grinned, "That's great," he cheered as he picked her up in a hug. "I told you we made a great team. You and Tony going to get him?"

Ziva frowned, "I was hoping you and I could go. You're the one who cracked it open."

"I'm needed in the lab to help Abby," he explained, "If it's regarding a hot case, that'll take precedence for me."

"Oh," she said disappointingly, "Then I am not sure what is going on. Maybe you'll be free before we need to go."

"Maybe," he replied, "We'll have to see, I'm not even sure what I'm needed for," he admitted before pausing to look at her. "Um, are we still doing something this weekend? Movie marathon?" he hesitatingly asked.

"Yes, of course," she hurriedly assured him, "Unless you don't want to, or feel you cannot forgive me," she added.

"Of course I want to, and there's nothing to forgive. I overreacted when I didn't hear from you, thinking you were mad and ignoring me. I should have realized that if you were upset you would tear me apart, not give me the silent treatment." He paused and snorted, "Even Tony figured out it was most likely a work thing that prevented you from responding, and he doesn't know what you do. Er, that's you as in Peggy," Tim corrected.

"Tony?"

Tim quickly explained how understanding and helpful Tony had been during the last moments of their return trip to the yard. "Almost makes me willing to put up with his all of his teasing and torment."

"Really?"

Tim frowned as he thought about it. It did remind him that there was more to Tony than teasing and pranks, but those times were few and far in between. "I don't know" he finally answered, "It does make me wonder which is the real Tony. Why he can't be helpful and supportive all the time, not just when something bad seems to happen."

Ziva just gave him a hug that lasted a few moments before withdrawing to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "You had best get to Abby before she starts looking for you, and I had best return upstairs. This is not how we want to be discovered," she commented before the two went their separate ways.

"What happened to you?" Abby asked when a flushed Tim entered her lab.

"Er, nothing, why?"

"You're all flushed," she replied, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're not getting sick are you? Was your friend sick recently? 'Cause you know, that's one of the main problems with having a boyfriend, er girlfriend in your case," she corrected with a smirk. "You get sick, they pamper and care for you, but in the process they get sick, so naturally, you return the favor."

Tim frowned, "That doesn't sound too bad," he admitted. And it hadn't been. He had been very surprised when Ziva had cared for him after he caught her cold, especially since he hadn't told anyone how he had been feeling.

"Oh, no, that's the good part," she grinned. "That bad part is that it restarts the cycle. After caring for her, you get sick again, she cares for you, then she gets sick _again_. You end up passing the germs back and forth."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that I'm not sick right now and neither is she. Any germs we had are dead."

Abby nodded absently before explaining what she was doing and how he could help.

* * *

Tony watched as a completely different McGee, a happier McGee, entered the bullpen a few hours later. Tony could only think of one thing that might mean, "So, Probie, Peggy call you back?"

"We talked," Tim admitted, taking in the empty bullpen and wondering where the rest of the team was.

"And the two of you are good?"

"Yeah, we're good," Tim replied, smiling and remembering the kiss Ziva gave him on the stairwell.

"Good," Tony nodded, grateful things had worked out. "So, any big plans for the weekend?"

Tim shrugged, sure his face flushed as he once more thought about Ziva's earlier text regarding breakfast and what Tony believed it to mean.

"Oh, ho," Tony snickered, catching his partner's reaction. "I take that as a yes. Do tell."

"We're not going to Vegas to get married," Tim replied, not meeting the older agent's gaze.

"Hey, who told you about that…" Tony asked, turning and glaring at Ziva's empty desk.

"We're just gonna have a movie night at her place," Tim replied, trying to sound casual.

Tony leaned back and smirked. "Remember what I said," Tony stated before reminding Tim about what movies would almost guarantee him breakfast the next morning.

Tim's face reddened even more.

"Yeah, if she could see you now," Tony smirked. "If she meant it when she said she likes you blushing, she would currently be all over you."

"Tony," Tim groaned in embarrassment.

"Hey, just wanting to help."

"Don't need any help," Tim muttered. "I'm fine, we're fine."

"You know," Tony began thoughtfully. "You guys had a big fight today…"

"It wasn't a fight. It was a misunderstanding," Tim corrected. "Technically, it wasn't even that."

"Probie, it was a _fight_ ," Tony replied, stressing the last word and continuing when Tim opened his mouth to argue. "And now that you've made up, you can have make up sex."

Tim stared at his fellow agent in shock, in some ways not really surprised at those words. Shaking his head, he went back to work, believing that his partner had done the same.

"The first time we make love, it won't be make up sex," Tim muttered quietly about five minutes later, unable not to say the words that he had been thinking.

"So, the two of you haven't yet, huh?" Tony stated, after he deciphered Tim's words. "Why not?" He asked, looking at Tim curiously.

"Not your business, Tony."

"You know," the SFA began only to fall silent as Gibbs approached his desk.

" _I_ know a lot of things, including the fact that you better get back to work," he added pointedly.

"Right, boss. Just need Probie here to stop distracting me."

Tim just exchanged a look with his boss and rolled his eyes.

"McGee, with me." Gibbs stated, before walking towards the elevator.

"Boss?" Tim asked in confusion. As far as he knew, there was no reason why Gibbs needed to hold a conference with him.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Gibbs smirked, "Thought you might want to witness the interrogation of your suspect."

"You got him?" Tim questioned in delightful surprise, only to receive a look in reply. "Right. Of course you did. And yeah, I definitely want to see it."

Gibbs nodded, "And take advantage of the opportunity to get away from DiNozzo."

Tim smiled, "Gee, boss, it's like you know me," Tim teased, too happy to think about what he was saying and to whom. For Friday the 13th, this was turning into a rather spectacular day. Hopefully the weekend be just as good.

* * *

"Do you want to grab something to eat?" Tim asked as the he and Ziva left work that evening.

The two had just finished discussing the stupidity of their suspect. At first their he had seemed worried, nervous even. However, once the questioning had started and he realized why he was there, he seemed relieved, often mentioning how that was a long time ago and a waste of both their time. He spent some time trying not to give anything away, but after accidentally letting something slip, he easily cracked when Gibbs applied some pressure. Of course, the perpetrator then gleefully informed them that they were too late, that the statute of limitations had already expired. It was quite a shock to him to realize that this particular crime occurred in West Virginia, where there is no statute of limitations regarding felonies. Both Ziva and Tim thought the look on their suspects face was priceless, wishing that they had been allowed to snap a picture of it.

They were currently standing in the parking garage, in the empty space between their two cars.

"Are we having a movie marathon at my place tomorrow?" Ziva returned.

"Uh, yeah," Tim replied, scrunching his nose up, as he wondered why she was mentioning it again. "I thought that was what we decided," he added, suddenly unsure.

"Then, no. I have a lot of planning and shopping to do, as well some housekeeping."

"Oh, okay," a deflated Tim responded. "Um, anything I can do to help?"

"Mostly it is grocery shopping that I have to do," she confessed.

"I can-" Tim began only to fall silent went Ziva touched his arm.

When he looked at her, meeting her eyes, she continued, "I thought that you could plan and bring the movies, any series or genre is fine with me," she added when Tim went to open his mouth. "I would be responsible for the food. Dinner, since I was hoping you could come by around 5," she said, continuing after receiving a nod of agreement, "dessert, and," she paused, looking at him intensely, "If things go well, breakfast."

Tim froze at that last phrase. She couldn't mean that how he was hearing it, could she? Looking at her, he was beginning to suspect that she did. He knew he _wished_ that she had. All he could do was nod again, this time more emphatically than before.

Ziva smiled at him, and without a concern for the cameras or people that might be watching, leaned over and briefly touched her lips to his before pulling back. "After all, I have a promise to keep," she said before entering her car and driving off.

Yes, Tim thought as he climbed into his car, Friday the 13th was, in fact, a really great day. If this is what happened when he avoided black cats, ladders, and made sure to pick up any heads-up pennies he finds, Tim might have just found a new hobby.

* * *

1-16-19

Like Tim, I am sure many of you are wondering what happens next?


	53. Sat-Sun March 14-15 (J53)

Not Beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

In my defense, all I can say is that at least I didn't make you wait too long for this chapter...

* * *

Tim woke up early Saturday morning and automatically looked at the clock, over 10 hours until he could appear on Ziva's doorstop. He tried to remain focused on her last words, knowing she was talking about the pastry lessons. He had spent all of last night convincing himself that that was _all_ she meant. After all, there was only a few days more than a fortnight left in the month, in their plan, there wasn't much time left for her to fulfill that promise. Still, Tim's mouth couldn't help but water at the thought of what might be. He debated whether or not to try to fall back asleep, but loud barking and Jethro licking his face had put an end to that notion.

After taking care of both his and Jethro's morning needs, he decided to spend some of the morning writing. He had just settled into his chair when he received a phone call.

"Hey, big brother," Sarah happily greeted after he answered the phone. "Are you working or on call this weekend?"

"Nope," he replied just as cheerfully. After all, if he and Ziva had been on call, he doubted they would have the plans, or possible plans, for tonight that they did.

"Good, I need a favor."

"Sarah,"

"Please, it's really important. Not as big as last time, I promise."

"No life, death, or jail sentence involved?"

"I…definitely not jail sentence," she promised. "Life or death," she hesitated. "That depends on mom and dad's reaction if I fail my midterm."

Tim sighed, "When's the midterm?"

Sarah hesitated again, "Monday morning."

Tim closed his eyes in an attempt at keeping his temper in check. "Sarah,"

"I know," she responded to his unspoken rebuke. "Please, Tim," she begged, continuing when he remained silent. "Who made you soup when you were sick? Who didn't tell Ziva the secret ingredient was love? Who-"

"Alright, alright, alright," Tim gave in, like he knew he would. "I'll help you study for your midterm."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," his sister gushed in gratitude. "You're the best big brother to ever walk this planet."

"I already said I would help," he stated in amusement. "No need to butter me up. Now, when and where?"

"I have to work, so I was figuring right afterwards? About 3ish?"

Tim thought about that. He could probably do that, meet with Sarah for a few hours and then be at Ziva's for a late dinner and a movie by 8. "Yeah, I can do that," he agreed, hoping the modified plans would be okay with Ziva. Hopefully she will understand that he can't _not_ help his sister.

"Great! Hopefully I'll have it figured out by midnight."

"Midnight?" Tim repeated in surprise, unsure if he heard her correctly. He couldn't help but think that Ziva was not going to understand after all.

Sarah sighed, "Yeah, you're right, that probably is too optimistic. Well, if I don't have it down by ten, maybe we should stop, regroup, and continue on Sunday? Do you think you could spare some more time for your favorite sister tomorrow as well?"

"You're my only sister," Tim stated, "I wouldn't say favorite," especially not when interrupting his own plans like this, he thought.

"Who-"

"I never said I wouldn't help," he injected, cutting her off before she could continue to list all the things she's done for him. "So, where? Are you coming here? If we end up continuing this tomorrow, it might be easier if you spend the night."

"Um," she hesitated.

"What?"

"Well,"

"Sarah McGee, what have you done?"

"I have a friend…"

"And?"

"And she's also having a hard time in this class. When she heard me mention my brother the genius, well…"

Tim sighed in resignation, "Just one friend?"

"Uh, yeah," Sarah admitted. "Unless…"

"No," he argued.

"Would it be that much harder to work with five or six people as opposed to one?"

"Yes," Tim replied firmly.

"They're all really smart. It really shouldn't be any trouble," Sarah informed him, before continuing to talk about her friends, the class, and the problems that they were having.

* * *

"Timothy," Ziva happily greeted as she answered her phone. "You are calling early today. I hope we do not have any problems for tonight." Silence greeted her statement. "Tim?"

He sighed, this was one of the few times he really wished he was an only child. "Sarah called."

"Is everything all right? Is she safe? Healthy? Did something happen to your parents or your Penny?"

"Everyone's fine," Tim replied, "Thank you for being so concerned."

She shrugged it off, "They are your family and important to you," she replied.

Tim smiled at her response.

"So, what is going on with Sarah?"

"She is having trouble with one of her classes and has a midterm in that class Monday morning."

"And she needs your help," Ziva supplied.

"I…yeah," he reluctantly admitted. "She is working this morning, so we can't get together till about 3. I agreed to help, thinking it would only take a few hours and that we, er, you and I, could meet at about 8,"

"We could definitely do that," Ziva injected, trying to be accommodating and not wanting to cancel things completely.

"But then Sarah made it sound like it could be an all night thing, at least until ten and then perhaps picking it up again tomorrow."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Tim commiserated. "She told me more about the class, her friends and the professor and truthfully, it really sounds like the professor is setting it up so that those not in his department fail."

"Why would he do that?"

"Sarah admitted that she signed up for this class hoping it wouldn't be as intense as a regular math class, and because it sounded fun."

"How can a match class sound fun?" a bewildered Ziva asked.

"The class title mentions Game Theory, Graphs, and Math models. Since it didn't mention algebra, trig, geometry or calculus, she hoped it would be light on math calculations and focused more on the game theory and graphs."

"But it does not."

Tim shrugged, "Not sure, since I haven't been able to see any of the material yet, but either way, it sounds like the professor hasn't spent a lot of time explaining anything to them."

Ziva nodded in understanding before remembering that he could not see that. "She is lucky to have you."

"Ziva, I'm so sorry," Tim said, not knowing what else to say.

"You are a knight," Ziva reminded him, "This is what you do."

"Maybe I should've stayed just an Elf Lord," Tim joked.

She smiled, though he couldn't see it over the phone, "You have always been a knight. Will always be a knight. It is who you are, at your core. I understand that. More importantly, I appreciate it."

"Thanks," he replied softly. "If by chance, it goes well, I'll give you a call."

"I will be here," she promised before hanging up the phone. "And maybe we are not meant to be," she muttered, staring at the disconnected phone in her hand.

* * *

"I meant to say this earlier, but I go so busy telling you about the project that I forgot to thank you for coming. I'm so glad you were able to join me today," Abby stated as they left the Habitat for Humanity project they had spent the majority of the day volunteering at. Earlier that morning, she had called the team to see if anyone would be interested in joining her. To her surprise, Ziva had agreed. It was the first time Ziva had joined her on one of these missions and surprisingly, the two had fun. "I thought for sure you would've had plans with your knight. I had meant to ask everyone earlier to help, but…" she trailed off and shrugged, time had just seemed to have gotten away from her.

"I should be thanking you," Ziva returned. "My plans for the weekend fell apart and I was just sitting around, staring at the walls."

"Then I am glad I called," Abby replied, shooting a grin at her coworker. "Whenever I feel down, I always feel better after I do something for someone else," she shared. "Plus, this gives us a chance to have some girl talk."

"Girl talk?" Ziva repeated.

The scientist's pony tails swung back and forth as she nodded her head. "Yep. Just us girls, laughing, talking, complaining, or boasting about the guys in our lives."

Ziva frowned, that reminded her of something Tony had once said…"Like a GTO?"

"GNO," an enthusiastic Abby corrected, "Girls Night Out, and yes, exactly like that!"

"But it is not night," Ziva protested.

"We are girls, we are out, and two out of three ain't bad," she sang the last part. "Besides, it's night somewhere," she replied with a grin. "So, tell me about your guy and what happened to your plans?"

Ziva turned and stared out the window.

"Still complicated?" Abby softly asked when Ziva remained silent.

"Very," Ziva replied.

Abby shot her a worried look. "Hey, instead of eating out, why don't we grab some food and return to my place. I have a bottle of wine we can open as we talk."

Ziva shook her head, in disagreement. "No, we should head to my apartment. I have plenty of food there as well as wine." She counter-offered.

Abby nodded and redirected the car that way.

"Oh, my god, Ziva," Abby said, her stomach full from the delicious food Ziva had made. "That was incredible."

"Thanks, I made it yesterday for T-someone, but he had to cancel."

"He doesn't know what he missed, and though I am sorry for you that your plans didn't work out, I am happy that I was able to eat some of this."

Ziva gave a half-hearted smile in reply.

"Okay, so tell me why things are so complicated and don't just say it's because all relationships are," Abby directed, wagging her finger at Ziva in warning.

The Israeli went silent as she thought of the best way to explain this or even if she _wanted_ to explain it. No, she suddenly realized, she did want another opinion on this, and as long as she left out names, things should be fine.

"Wait," Abby cautioned, "Let me pour us some more wine, then we'll get comfortable on the couch as we talk, okay?"

Once they were settled, Ziva sighed, "Remember when you told me that you date who you marry?"

"Marry who you date, but yeah," Abby admitted, taking another sip of her wine.

"We did not start dating because we liked each other. I mean, we liked each other, he was, _is_ a good friend, but we did not _like_ each other."

"Then why did you start to date?" Abby asked in confusion.

Ziva thought about it, keeping rule 7 in mind even as she changed a few details. "A couple of situations regarding a coworker and one of his exes," she began. "He told me a bit of what was going on and I suggest we begin seeing each other, to _pretend_ seeing each other, so he could hopefully have some peace at work. We decided that for it to be thought of as a real relationship we would have to treat it as a real relationship and that it would have to last a few months, after that, we would 'break up' and he could play the broken heart deck to extend that peace."

"Wait. The guy who planned the ballet surprise for you at the last minute is just a friend?"

"Yes," Ziva admitted. "That was our first official date, everything else had just been meals while we discussed the situation and the plan." Ziva frowned, "Actual even before that, we have not been out just the two of us in a long time.

"Wow," Abby said, leaning back in shock, "and Valentine's Day?"

"Had more to do with him being able to share it with his colleagues than regarding me or his feelings for me."

Abby frowned at that, not quite believing it. "So what's the problem?"

"We have been together for a few weeks and I am not sure if I want things to go back to how it was."

"So, that's a good thing, right?"

Ziva frowned, "It would be if I knew that he felt or thought the same."

"No indication that he does?"

"Nothing conclusive," Ziva stated, indulging in more wine.

"Come on," Abby argued, "He must've given something away."

"I keep thinking about how we agreed to act like it is a real relationship. I did not believe he could act that well," Ziva admitted. "Which makes me hope that what he feels is real, but I am learning so much about him, that I realize that I really did not know him as well as I thought. That makes me question what I see. If he is so different from what I thought, maybe he always was a good actor and I just never noticed.

"I have seen a different side to him these last few weeks," Ziva admitted, as she softly continued. "Something that I had always seen in him as weakness is actually a strength. I thought I knew him, his character, but since we started seeing each other, I realize how much more he is. I can't help but think about how much more _we_ could be," she finished and she and Abby just looking at each for a moment.

"First," Abby said, holding up one finger, when her friend remained silent with nothing else to say. "I really can't believe a guy would obtain box seats at the ballet for just a 'friend'. I mean, even if the box belonged to a friend and he didn't pay for them, it would take a lot of time to arrange."

Ziva smiled, "I believe he did it in less than 8 hours," she admitted. "When we talked earlier that morning, we hadn't had anything planned."

"Wow. He must really have connections." Abby sat back in shock, "Nope, still not buying it. Why would he waste those connections on such an evening if it didn't mean anything to him? He has probably secretly liked you for a long time, but didn't know how to approach you."

Ziva shook her head in disagreement, but decided not to comment on that. "What is second?"

"Huh?" A confused Abby asked.

"You said 'first', indicating that there is a second."

"Oh, well…If I had second, I forgot it," she finally answered. "But, well, I guess second leads us to Valentine's Day. Trust me, no guy spends the money that class would've cost to impress his _coworkers_. He did that for you," Abby firmly stated. "He must know how much you like to cook and he looked for something that you would enjoy. _And_ ," she stressed, "I heard all about the flowers he sent you. I also snuck up to see them when you guys were in the field. He spent a lot of time arranging for that, something _his_ coworkers' wouldn't have seen," she pointedly added, "It's not like he could just walk into the local florist and say 'Hey, send the national flower of Israel to this girl'."

Her imitation of a gruff male voice had Ziva laughing. "See!" Abby exclaimed. "He went to all that trouble to make everything special for you. He _has_ to like you."

"No he doesn't," Ziva still argued. "That is just the way he is. _Who_ he is," she added. "Like why he cancelled our plans this weekend."

"Why did he cancel your plans?" Abby curiously asked.

"He had to go to someone's rescue," Ziva stated with a slight smile.

Abby's eyes narrowed, "Another women's?"

"A family member," Ziva corrected.

"Oh. I guess that's okay," Abby conceded, hoping that Ziva's knight was being truthful with her. She scrunched up her nose and shook her head, like the Mossad officer wouldn't have caught on to a lie.

Ziva shrugged, "I understand."

"Why? Why do you understand so much?" The scientist asked. Her friend had admitted earlier that she was sad her plans had changed, but in no way did she seem upset or mad about it, or the guy who changed them. Abby definitely couldn't say the same. Even when a change in plans was due to circumstances beyond her boyfriend's control, Abby still got upset.

Ziva paused, "Because as I said, it is who he is.

"And who is he?" Abby asked

Ziva just glared at her for prying.

Abby rolled her eyes, "I don't mean tell me his name. Tell me more about him," Abby stated. "Why do you say that's who he is? Why do you call him a knight?"

"My knight," Ziva corrected absently. "Because it fits, he reminds me of the knights of old. Loyal, courageous, chivalrous, trustworthy. A knight is someone who would do all he possibly could to accomplish his mission, you could trust him to do the right thing, with honor and dignity. A knight was someone worthy of respect."

"Wow," a surprised Abby whispered when Ziva finished. "No wonder you have fallen for him."

Ziva gave her a slight smile. "I just wish I knew if he was falling for me as well."

Abby gave her situation some thought. "I do not know what to tell you," she finally said. "If the universe wanted it to happen, it will, otherwise, it won't," she added unhelpfully. "On the other hand, I can only suggest that if you really believe that he doesn't care for you in the same way then you end the charade, sooner rather than later, so you don't end up with a broken heart."

"I cannot abandon him," Ziva replied with a sad smile. "And I do not want to risk our friendship by asking for more if he is not interested." Not to mention risking their jobs, she thought, thinking about Gibbs and his warning of consequences.

Abby leaned over and gave her friend a big hug, wondering if it was already too late to try to prevent a broken heart. After pulling back, the two sat in silence, absently twirling the wine in their glasses.

"Has he contacted you at all this weekend?" Abby finally asked after about ten minutes of silence.

Ziva shook her head, "No, not since he had to cancel on me."

"Men," Abby grumbled, before finishing her glass of wine and refilling both their glasses.

* * *

1-17-19

Please don't hate me too much...If the universe (or you) wants them to get together, it'll let me know by review (LOL)

So the next several scenes (3/16-3/18) I had written _before_ I even posted this story 11 months ago. Glad that I am finally able to get to them.

I have been trying to update as often as possible (basically once a day). I hope to continue that, however, there might be a few days where that could be impossible due to work & other activities going on (for any FRC people out there, it's build season!). Hope you are enjoying the frequent updates.


	54. Mon Mar 16, History (J54)

Not Beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

It was a tired Timothy McGee that entered the bullpen that morning. He was really glad that he and Ziva carpooled in and that she drove this morning. Between the late night and early morning study sessions, and his phone beeping regarding a new text, call, or missed call, he was exhausted. He would've loved to have placed his phone on silent, but he knew that even though they weren't on call, Gibbs would not accept that as an excuse for not picking up the phone if he called.

Besides, part of him was hoping that Ziva would call him.

Unfortunately, the only calls and texts he received were from Tony and Sarah. After Sarah and her friend had returned to their dorm, they were greeted by their classmates, hoping that they understood enough about the class to help everyone else that was struggling with it. She had called Tim when someone asked a question she wasn't sure about, or if she wanted to make sure she had given the correct answer. To Tim's surprise, during those phone calls, she seemed to totally understand the material. He had great hopes for her midterm grade and couldn't help but feel a little proud at what he might have helped her accomplish.

Tony, however, seemed to refuse to let their conversation from Friday go. Apparently, he didn't have much else to do with his time over the weekend other than texting Tim, mostly asking how the weekend was going, if he was with Peggy, and suggestions on how to seduce her.

"Looks like someone had a good, exhausting weekend," Tony gleefully greeted his coworkers as he walked towards his desk.

"Exhausting," Tim admitted, "Not necessarily good."

"Trouble in Paradise? Probie, I sent you those tips for a reason," Tony began.

"What tips?" A puzzled Ziva inquired.

"You really should've listened to me," he finished, not answering Ziva's question.

"I didn't see her," Tim stated, hoping Tony would drop the subject.

Tony whirled his chair around to stare at Tim. "She cancelled _again_? That does not bode well for the future of your relationship, McDumped."

"I wasn't dumped,"

Tony snorted, "Well, yeah, you can't be when you're not officially dating," he snarked, "But you keep thinking that."

"Tony, if you must know, _I_ had to rearrange our plans."

Tony just shook his head, "I think that's even worse. What reason did you give? Grandmother in the hospital? Car wouldn't start? Ooohhh," Tony replied, "Did you tell her you had to work?"

"I,"

"Timothy," Ziva interrupted before he could say another word. "You do not have to explain yourself to him. As long as Peggy is okay with the situation, and I am sure she is," Ziva reassured him, making sure to meet his eyes so he could see the sincerity in them, "That is all that matters."

"And you?" Tony asked, turning to his other partner, "What did you do this weekend?"

"It pretty fun," she admitted, focusing on Tony and not seeing Tim's wince. "Abby and I actually had a GT, no, wait, I mean, a G _N_ O."

"Really?" Tony asked, sounding intrigued. "Did the two of you have a sleepover?"

"Actually, yes."

Tony smirked, images running through his mind.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Tim instructed him sharply. "They didn't make out."

"Hey, a guy can dream," Tony replied, his grin slowly changing to a smirk. "So, did you guys bash McGee?"

"What?" Ziva and Tim both cried in shock and horror.

"I know how this works," Tony admitted with a shrug. "He's one of Abby's exes, therefore fair game. Come on," he pleaded, "Tell me what she said."

Ziva frowned, "She actually didn't say much about him," she honestly replied, now wondering on the reason for that. Tony had a point, they _did_ talk and bash their exes, but Tim hadn't made the list.

"Huh," Tony replied. "That's weird."

Tim's gaze drifted between the two, wondering what they were thinking. He was smart enough not to ask, he decided, and instead decided to change the topic. "So, I was thinking about how I found that lead on that cold case last week."

"Gloating?" Tony asked. "I'll have you know that gloating is a very unwelcome trait in a Probie."

Tim rolled his eyes, "I was wondering if you know of any other cold cases we could try it on."

"I…that could be possible," Tony slowly admitted, as he thought about Tim's idea.

"I know, right?" Tim nodded, "It would be awesome to close some more cold cases and get closure for the families."

"Got another family that needs closure," Gibbs informed his team as he entered the bullpen. "Grab your gear."

* * *

"ID is Julio Caser," Tim stated, giving the first name its proper pronunciation, before continuing by giving his rank and where he was stationed.

"Ides of March," Ducky muttered.

"What was that, Duck?"

"Ides of March. Ides was a term used to mark the approximate middle of the month. For some it is the fifteenth for other Roman calendar months it is the 13th," Ducky informed the team. The Roman calen-"

"Ducky,"

"Oh, right you are," Ducky said as he and Jimmy stood up. "Approximated time of death was about 10-14 hours ago, meaning that he died yesterday, the Ides of March. What is even more interesting-"

"Duck."

"This is related to our case," Ducky informed the impatient man, looking at the body, the team following his gaze.

Tim frowned, "What are the odds he was stabbed 23 times?" he asked, causing everyone's gaze to shift to him.

"A fan of history," Ducky noted. "I would not be surprised."

"What are you guys talking about?"

Ducky nodded his head, indicating for McGee to fill them in.

"Julius Caesar," Tim began.

Tony frowned, "I thought you said our victims name was Julio Caser."

"It is. Julius Caesar, a Roman politician, main character of play of the same name by Shakespeare about his assassination."

"Stabbed 23 times?" Tony guessed.

"Yes," Ducky confirmed. "I will know for certain if Mr. Caser also had that in common with Julius Caesar once we get him on a table. Let's go, Mr. Palmer."

* * *

"Why would anyone assassinate Caser?" Tony asked. "A politician, I can understand, but a lowly Petty Officer?"

Tim shook his head, "I haven't found anything in his financials that answers that question."

"No quarrels, fights, or grudges with known associates."

"Perhaps he just annoyed the wrong person," Ziva stated. "Or was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"He was stabbed 23 times on the Ides of March and his name is Julio Caser," Tony reminded her. "I think not."

Tim frowned, "Caesar was killed because some people thought he had too much power, they rebelled. Wh-"

"McHistory," Tony injected, "Again, we're talking about a petty officer, no power, no rebellion."

Ziva frowned, "Perhaps it is a serial killer? Mimicking famous deaths."

Tony's head shot up, "Now _that_ could be possible. Ziva, contact the local LEO's, see if they have any cases in the last month that might resemble infamous deaths. McGee," Tony began before pausing.

"Yeah," Tim admitted, "I'm not sure how I would go about setting up a search with that criteria," he began, believing that was what the SFA wanted.

"No," Tony shook his head, "Not what I want, thought I might have you contact the FBI to see if they've stumbled across anything. All this talk about Ides of March made me think of something."

"What?"

"If you and Peggy have any big plans for tomorrow?"

Tim frowned, they might have a serial killer on their hands and Tony wanted to know about his mid week date? "We're working."

"After work," Tony clarified, rolling his eyes.

"There will only be an after work if we close this case," Tim responded.

"I have faith in us, well me," Tony corrected.

Tim just shook his head and shrugged, "Nothing planned, why?"

"Why? Why?" Tony repeated incredulously. "Because it's your big day, that's _why_."

Ziva frowned as she looked towards Tim, phone receiver in her hand, "I thought your birthday was in September?"

"It's th-" Tim began, only to be cut off by Tony.

"Tomorrow's St. Paddy's day, McIrish," the SFA announced. "You know, the perfect opportunity to shake your shamrocks, get your green off, have her kiss your blarney stone," he finished, wiggling his eyebrows.

"And you just ruined that holiday for me," McGee muttered. "Not many Irish places around here," Tim admitted, "A lot of commercialized one, sure, but authentic?" he added with a shrug. "I could probably do a better job cooking at home with my great grandparent's recipes."

"You should do that," Tony advised, "An authentic Irish meal, using family recipes at Casa McGee."

Eyebrows rose, "You know casa is Spanish, right?"

"Po-tay-toes, Po-tah-toes,"Tony just waived away Tim's protest. "Hey, potatoes are pretty Irish, aren't they?"

Tim just shook his head and decided to take the higher road.

"You know," Tony began suddenly, "If you don't want to do that, it would be a great opportunity for all of us, you, Peggy, Ziva, guy in tights, me," he clarified who he meant, "to get together for drinks, perhaps even a quick meal."

"And have you scare her off? I don't think so," Tim muttered.

Toy snorted, "If 'elf lord' didn't scare her, can't think of anything I could do that might."

"Yet I'm sure you will try anyway," Tim retorted, causing Tony to grin as he returned to his computer.

"Seriously, think about it," he advised, turning back to his desk and missing the look his coworkers exchanged.

"Hmm," Ziva hummed thoughtfully, a few minutes later. "Perhaps a double date could be arranged," she agreed, before turning her attention back to the phone to ask a few questions.

* * *

"It wasn't political in nature," Tim stated. "I think it was jealousy, and all the Julius Caesar stuff was an attempt to put our eyes in the wrong direction," Tim suggested.

"Why do you say that?" Gibbs asked.

"The latest promotion list that was released two weeks before Caser was killed."

"Caser was on it," Gibbs acknowledged. That information had turned up earlier in their background check.

Tim nodded, "More importantly, was who wasn't on it, but thought he should be; was positive that he was next in line."

"Who?"

"Petty Officer Samuel Grace," Tim shared.

Tony frowned, "His name doesn't resemble on of Julius Caesar's attackers, does it? Kind if we have this whole history repeating itself thing going on, that would be weird," he shared. "Thank you, boss," he stated in response to the head slap.

"No, but he _was_ suppose to be a close friend to Caser. The two have known and worked together for years." Tim explained, adding, "I have also spoken with Abby, his DNA was found at the crime scene. He said he and Caser had lunch together, but when I Caser's girlfriend, she said that the two hadn't seen each other for a few days." Tm added, staring at Gibbs and waiting for a verdict.

"Et tu, Brute?" Gibbs asked, earning a stare of confusion from Tony and a look of surprise from Tim.

"Good work, Tim," Gibbs stated before ordering, "Tony, Tim, go get him."

* * *

"Ah, Ziva," Ducky greeted, sounding relieved to discover who had entered autopsy. "I hope I can convince you to join me in a spot of tea."

"I do not think any convincing is necessary, Ducky," Ziva returned, before looking around and taking a seat. "Where is Jimmy?" With Tony and Tim collecting their suspect, she felt at loose ends so decided to see if Ducky had the finalized autopsy report ready.

"I'm afraid Mr. Palmer was feeling ill. Oh, nothing too serious," Ducky replied, at Ziva's look of concern. "Just a nasty cold, rather like the one you yourself had almost a month ago."

Ziva frowned, "Has it really been less than a month?" she muttered.

Ducky raised an eyebrow at her question, but didn't respond, suspecting that it wasn't said for his benefit. "Since we had already finished the autopsy on Mr. Caser, I suggested he return home and get the rest he needed. I know you are aware of how a cold can so easily turn into something more serious if it is in properly seen to."

"I do," Ziva replied, before giving a smile at the memory her words evoked.

"You are thinking of him right now," Ducky commented.

"Thinking of who?" she replied, her voice and face now stoic.

"Your young man," Ducky replied with a smile. "How is he feeling?"

"Much better. The medicine you suggested worked well. No hospital trip needed."

"I am glad," the older gentleman replied, sipping his tea. "And your relationship?"

Ziva frowned and stared into her cup. "Complicated," she finally replied.

An eyebrow rose at that familiar word. "I will tell you what I told Timothy," he began, noticing her reaction as her head popped up at the familiar name. "Talk with him. The only way to 'uncomplicate' things is to talk about your relationship."

Ziva gave a sigh, "I have tried."

The doctor frowned, and put his cup down "He is unwilling?"

"No, not him," she argued. "The universe."

Ducky frowned in bewilderment, "Whatever do you mean?"

"It seems that whenever I try to talk about it, something prevents us from doing so. It is as if the world is conspiring against us. Like it is preventing us from being together, like it does not _want_ us together," she admitted. "I am beginning to believe that it is a sign, that he is not meant to be mine. That _we_ are not meant to be."

Ducky remained silent, trying to hear not just what she said, but also what she didn't. "Do you want to be?" he asked, staring straight into her eyes. "Perhaps the universe is telling you that you need to figure that out first before you talk with him."

"It would be so much easier to know where he is at, what he wants before taking that step."

"But is that fair to him?" Ducky asks. "Beginning or continuing a relationship because one person wants it is not fair, especially to that person. You can't stay or be with him because _he_ loves you. It must be because _you love each other_. You need to fall in love, not just fall into a relationship."

And like most topics, Ducky seemed to have a story that fit this scenario. "I once had a friend who made an absolute cake of himself, often on purpose," he admitted slyly. "Most would see him and avoid or ignore him, pretend that they don't know him. Some would be embarrassed for him; embarrassed for the ones with him. His girl, however," Ducky replied softly, fondly, "She would look on proudly. Proud that he was who he was, proud that she was with him. _That_ , my dear, is love. Letting him be who he is and you being proud of who or what he is."

Ziva simply nodded and took another sip of her tea. It seems that she had some more thinking to do.

* * *

"Ah, Ziva," Tim tentatively began, as the two drove home that night, "You weren't serious about double dating with Tony were you?" Tim hadn't gotten an opportunity to talk with Ziva since their earlier conversation in the bullpen, since they were following different possibilities regarding the case.

Tim was glad that it turned out that it wasn't a serial killer. He was also thankful that Gibbs was able to break their suspect relatively quickly, making it an earlier evening than they had expected.

Ziva shrugged, "Not right now," she admitted, "But maybe at some point, perhaps next month?" she added.

Tim frowned. It was already March, so next month would be April, correction, in 16 days it would be April, the plan was set to end on April first. Oh, perhaps she meant, "You mean planning a double date on April 1 to reveal to him that we have been seeing each other?" Tim asked. "That could work, though, he would probably just think that my date stood me up, so that would explain her absence. Of course, he would have a date there, and well," Tim admitted, "I think that could kind of ruin the night for her and I don't think that would be fair. We'll have to plan the reveal some other way."

Ziva just shook her head. She was seriously beginning to think that Tim did not want to see her after the plan ended, despite saying he liked spending time with her,

"Hey, Ziva," Tim began, "Will you join me for dinner tomorrow night?"

"I…yes, of course," Ziva agreed, happy that Tim had asked her. While they often had meals together during the week, rarely were they planned ahead of time, most of the time it was something they discussed on the way home from the yard, even their Wednesday night tradition wasn't talked about until the drive home on Wednesdays.

"Great," Tim grinned. "Tony will be happy to know that Peggy will be joining me for an authentic St. Patrick's Day celebration."

Ziva kept the smile on her face even as her spirit sank. Tony. She should have known Tim was only asking because of the plan and something that Tony had said. Still, it was an opportunity to learn more about Tim, to possibly find out what he was thinking and feeling regarding their relationship, and she was not going to let that pass her by.

* * *

1-18-19

Wasn't sure I would get this out today (I am really exhausted, my eyes keep shutting on their own & when I open them back up, everything is blurry) plus I had trouble connecting to WIFI, but I really wanted to since I have no idea how much if I'll be able to post this weekend (I live in NE, and with the storm coming, it is a possibility that we could lose power.

Wow! Unsurprisingly, all of you want McGee & Ziva to get together...

Most of you liked the convo with Abby & Ziva, though I thought you would be upset when she mentioned that perhaps Ziva should end things now to protect her heart. Speaking of heart...I like the convo between Ducky & Ziva in this chapter.

Hope to hear your thoughts & opinions on this chapter.

Next Chapter: Tues Mar 17, Luck of the Italian


	55. Tue Mar 17 Luck of the Italian (J55)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies

* * *

"So, McIrish, did you make plans for tonight?"

Tim sighed, he had been expecting that question, "Actually, yes. I decided that I _would_ like to cook for her tonight. To share a bit of my family history and recipes with her. After all, she cooked a few times for me, using recipes from her past."

Tony snickered, "But not the guacamole one, right?" He said, making kissy noises.

Ziva looked at Tim in shock, he hadn't told her that he shared that part of the story with Tony.

Tim ignored him and continued, "I went shopping yesterday, did some prep work in case we had to stay late tonight."

"So what's on the menu?" Tony asked with a knowing look.

"Irish Stew and Shepherd's pie."

Tony looked at him in surprise, "No corned beef and cabbage?"

"Hell, no," Tim said before he could restrain himself. "Corned beef isn't Irish. Cabbage is a big part of Irish Cuisine," Tim admitted as he scrunched up his nose, "But I can't stand the taste or the smell of it."

Tony shrugged, figuring McGreen would know, "And dessert?"

"That I haven't decided yet," he confessed, "I'm not quite sure, it's hard to find an Irish dessert that doesn't involve alcohol."

"Nothing wrong with that," Tony smirked. "Getting drunk on St. Patrick's Day is a time-honored tradition."

Tim shook his head at the typical Tony reply. "The other issue is that a lot of desserts involve potatoes, and since they are already in the other two dishes," he shrugged, believing his point was made.

"Potatoes? In desserts?" Tony repeated skeptically, "Yeah, that's enough reason to pass right there. What are the potential desserts for your potential girlfriend?" Tony asked with a snicker.

"Irish Chocolate Pots de Crème, Irish Apple Tart, Irish soda bread pudding, Apple cake with custard sauce, Irish lemon pudding, Irish potato candy,"

"Whoa-potatoes don't belong in desserts, remember?"

Tim smiled, "It's not made from potatoes, it gets its name from its appearance. The candies look like little russet potatoes."

"Oh, well, that's better, but still not sure it should be classified as a _dessert_. Something to place in a bowl, to taste, before or after your meal, sure, but as dessert? Nope," Tony vetoed. "Anything else?"

"Nope, that's about it, unless I add all the Irish Cream desserts, Whiskey Brownies, or Guinness Cakes"

Tony nodded, "Well, feel free to make those and the candies for your favorite agent," he said grinning at Tim. "As for tonight's dessert, the first one sounded more French than Irish."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, that's what I thought and it is an Irish twist on a French dessert, but it's good and quick and simple to make," he added, "That could be a plus if we end up working late."

Tony hummed, "A dessert is something that should be sweet, fed to one another, and possibly lead to dessert of another kind," he informed his teammate suggestively. "Do any of those meet that criteria?"

Tim blushed as he avoided Tony's gaze, not answering.

Tony smiled in triumphant before turning to Ziva, "You've been quiet for this conversation, what do you think?"

"I think whatever Tim decides will be fine," she said, trying to meet Tim's gaze to smile at him.

"You know," Tony spoke before Tim could reply, "I've had Irish Soda Bread before," he recalled fondly. "When I lived in Pennsylvania, my partner's wife used to make it for the precinct every St. Paddy's Day, it was the best thing about working that day."

Tim smiled, "I made the bread last night, had a bit for breakfast today. I have it available to use in the bread pudding if needed."

"Or for breakfast in bed tomorrow," Tony suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. "You know, since you didn't bring any in for us,"

"Sorry," Tim said, though his tone belied his words.

"Apologize to Ziva, I'm sure she would've liked to have tried Irish Soda Bread, she's probably never had it before."

"I have had it before," Ziva said, "A friend gave me some once," she explained when Tony looked surprised at her words. There really wasn't a need to tell him that the friend was Tim and that he had served her some this morning for breakfast at his apartment after the two had run together.

"Oh, well, I'm sure the boss would've liked to try it."

"Try what?" Gibbs asked as he entered the bullpen.

"Traditional Irish Soda Bread. Probie made a loaf last night, had some for breakfast, but neglected to bring us any."

"I've had it before," Gibbs admitted, "My first wife used to make it often, especially this time of year. Haven't had it in a long time," he continued, causing everyone to fall silent at his words, he never talked about Shannon. Though now that Tim thought about, with names like Shannon and Kelly, he really shouldn't be surprised that she was Irish. "Heard it makes a great bread pudding," Gibbs added, as he sat at his desk.

* * *

Tony shook his head as he, Ziva, and Tim headed out. "Luck of the Irish, Probie."

"Huh?"

"I can't believe that we didn't get a single call today about a case. I actually began to think the phones were down or something," Tony said with another shake of his head. "It has to be because it's St. Patrick's Day and the luck of the Irish is in your favor."

"Maybe," Tim replied cheerfully. "All I know is that I am very thankful right now."

"Speaking of thankful," Tony said, as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor.

"What?" Tim asked warily.

"I have something for you."

"What?" Tim repeated.

"Just a gift to help you out," Tony replied, handing Tim a wrapped packed. "Saw it and thought you could use it."

"I-"

"No need to thank me," Tony stated cheerfully. "Just be sure to share all the details with me tomorrow," he said as he walked away.

"What is it?" Ziva asked, staring at the bright green paper.

"Don't know and not sure I want to," Tim stated honestly, as the two left the building.

"How bad can it be?"

Tim just gave her a look, "This is Tony we're talking about, remember?"

"Give him a chance," Ziva encouraged. "At least open it."

"Fine," Tim muttered, carefully opening the package as if expecting a bomb.

Ziva frowned once the item was revealed. "Is that…"

"It's an apron," Tim confirmed, folding it over so she could see the writing on it. 'Kiss the Cook' in giant green script was emblazoned on the front.

"It is not that bad," she finally said.

"Yes, it is," Tim argued.

"I have seen aprons, dishtowels, plaques with that saying. It could've been much worse."

"It is," Tim repeated.

"Timothy,"

"Look," he ordered, showing her the rest of the apron. Under the saying was a large lipstick imprint, clearly indicating where one should kiss the cook.

"Oh," was all Ziva said as the two reached their cars.

* * *

Ziva added the last ingredients to the Irish stew, as Tim had directed. She couldn't recall ever smelling anything so delicious.

"Okay, we can leave that to simmer while we prepare the shepherd's pie."

Ziva smiled, "When you first mentioned it to Tony, I thought it was some type of dessert, but then he asked about that course. I admit I was quite curious and confused."

"As you might guess, it features potatoes," he smiled, "as well as lamb and vegetables, traditionally corn, but others have been substituted or added." As he started explaining, he placed the ingredients on the counter.

"That is ground beef, not lamb," she pointed out.

"Can't get anything past you," he teased. "Technically what we are having tonight should be called Cottage pie, since it is not made with lamb. I decided to use beef for some diversity, since the Irish stew was made with lamb."

"Shepherd's pie if made with lamb, presumably because shepherds tend to lamb and sheep; Cottage pie if made with another type of meat," she reiterated before frowning as she looked at the supplies laid out, "Where does the pie come in? Does it have a pastry topping like chicken pan pie?" Tim grinned at her, "What did I get wrong?" she asked with a sigh.

"Chicken pot pie," he said, still grinning when she rolled her eyes. "But no, no pastry shell top. Those three ingredients are layered in a pan and then baked until the top layers of mashed potatoes are lightly browned."

"I see," she commented, still not really understanding why it was called _pie_ , of course, there was a lot of things Americans said that she didn't understand.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Tim explained, "It was believed to originally have been made with pastry instead of potato. Once the potato became a daily food staple, the recipe was adapted, but was still categorized as a meat pie."

"Ah," she said, looking at the time before looking back at him, "shall we get started? What should I do?"

After the second course was prepared and in the oven, they spent a few minutes cleaning the kitchen before setting the table and sitting down to begin their meal.

"Tim, this is amazing," Ziva commented as she inhaled the first course of Irish stew.

"Thanks," he dismissively said, pointing to the ladle, silently asking her if she wanted more.

"Just a little bit," she responded, before continuing. "And it really is delicious," she stated sincerely, placing her hand over his after he served her. "The flavors," she paused, "I am not sure I can identify all of them," she admitted, "but they work well together."

"My grandmother used to make it for us whenever we went over there, even if it was during a heat wave in the height of summer," he commented with a grin.

"Penny?" she asked.

Tim smiled, "Oh, no. Penny's not the type, well," Tim broke off, "she does cook and would definitely teach her grandson to cook," he admitted, "But most likely she would be out protesting or rallying for some cause. This recipe is from my mother's side of the family."

"Irish on both sides, then?" she inquired.

Tim nodded, "Yeah, the recipe actually came down many generations ago, while they lived in Ireland. Many families were poor, surviving on what they could grow and raise themselves. Hence potatoes featuring in so much Irish cuisine; lamb and pork, as well," he admitted.

Ziva nodded at the impromptu history lesson, "Well, they definitely knew how to cook," she said looking at her empty bowl. "Part of me wants some more," she admitted, "While another part of me is wondering how I can sneak some into the bullpen for lunch tomorrow."

He smiled, glad she enjoyed it so much. "I don't know about lunch, but perhaps dinner again, tomorrow?" he suggested. "I wouldn't recommend more just yet, we still have the shepherd's pie."

Ziva nodded, "Yes, and I am looking forward to that."

Tim stood, grabbing the empty bowls they used for the stew and placed them by the sink before returning a few moments later with two plates of Shepherd's pie.

"I might have a new favorite holiday," Ziva commented, "That is as long as you make this for me every year," she stated after they finished eating the meat pie.

"It doesn't have to be St. Patrick's Day for you to have this, remember, my grandmother made it all the time."

"I can see why, it is definitely a new favorite," she admitted, standing up to begin clearing the table.

"I can do that," Tim stated, trying to stop her.

"So can I," she responded. "You cooked most of it and paid for the groceries, I can certainly help clean up. Besides, with the two of us doing it together, we will be done sooner and we can continue with dessert. I cannot wait to see what you are going to make. Though I do not know if I will be able to eat it, I am full."

Tim snorted, "Yeah, right. I heard you say something very similar many times, especially when we get the kitchen sink, yet that first night you ate all of your dessert plus most of mine."

"You offered," she reminded him.

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect that you actually would."

"Why not? It was good, another new favorite," she grinned.

"I know it's good, but usually when we grab lunch at work, you have small salads or meals. I didn't expect you would eat that much," he explained before a look of horror overcame his face. "Not that you ate a lot, you didn't. I mean, you did, for you, but you're not fat by any definition of the, er, I mean, you're not overweight at all. You're in great shape, not great, I mea-, not that it's not great, I, er,"

"Tim, stop," Ziva said, trying to control her laughter. "It is okay. I'm not offended. I understand what you are trying to ask and say. I do not eat a lot at work or a big breakfast before work in case we have to go out in the field and need to chase a suspect. The last thing I want is something heavy sitting on my stomach if I we have to run after someone."

"Oh, that makes sense," understanding her reasoning, Tim nodded as he spoke, "You know, I didn't mean-"

"I know," she smiled. "And I understand and am not offended; amused and entertained," she admitted, watching him blush again, "but not upset or offended.

"Now, should we listen to music while we wait for our appetites to come back for dessert?"

Tim nodded, "Sure, and how about a game of Scrabble as well?" he challenged.

"It's on," Ziva smirked.

"I'll be out in a minute, I just need to do a couple of things in here," he said, continuing when Ziva looked at him funny. "Don't worry, I won't cook dessert without you, I'm just going to double check that I have everything I need before we start in case I need to adapt the recipe."

Looking at him suspiciously, partly because she couldn't imagine him forgetting something, and partly because she felt he wasn't telling her the whole truth, she just nodded and went to set up the music and game.

After reviewing the dessert recipes, and the time they took to cook, Tim had decided to postpone their game and to prepare dessert first. Since he didn't know what he was going to make, he had the ingredients for just about all the desserts he talked about in the bullpen on hand.

"Okay," he began, after he called her into the kitchen and explained how long the desserts could take. "I'm still not sure what to make."

"Then what were you checking on?"

"The ingredients," he confessed, "But I have supplies for all the desserts I mentioned earlier today, I figured if I forgot something, that would rule it out."

Ziva laughed, "Almost like flipping a coin to decide? Putting it in the hands of fate?"

"Something like that," Tim agreed with a shrug.

"Hmm, if I recall that is a lot of desserts, I would say that next year we should have a dessert party, but I enjoyed the other courses too much," she stated, before falling silent as she thought about the desserts he mentioned, a few had pinged her curiosity, "I admit I am curious about how you make pudding from bread, but the apple cake with custard sounded good as well."

Tim smiled, as he admitted, "The Apple cake is one of my favorites,"

"Well, then, we should make that," Ziva decided.

Tim looked at her, "We could make both," he suggested.

"Will we have time to bake them both?"

Tim doubled checked the recipe, "It's fate," he declared, "They are cooked at the same temperature."

"Fate it is," Ziva agreed before Tim put her to work.

Ziva looked at both desserts, "Neither one is green," she commented.

"Should they be?" Tim asked, turning to her in surprise.

"You tell me, you are the one that is Irish," she said before explaining, the reason for her question, "All I've seen in magazines for the last month and half is recipes for green food, whether it was cakes, cupcakes, or frosting," she shrugged, "It appeared that if it was green, it was Irish."

Tim grinned, "I had a friend in school whose mother used to make everything green today if it was possible. Green eggs, waffles, pancakes, milk, cookies, cupcakes, breads, white gravy, mashed potatoes, cream cheese," he listed, some of what he remembered, "You name it, if it could be dyed, it was."

"They must have really been Irish."

"Nope, very Italian, actually," he informed her, still grinning. "You don't want to know what they did for Cinco de Mayo."

"I can imagine," she commented with a smile.

Looking at her and then the dessert, Tim offered, "You know, we can easily make the apple cake green, all we need is some food coloring."

Ziva grinned before she started rummaging through the cabinets.

The rest of the prep didn't take long and soon, the deserts were ready to be baked. After placing them in the oven, Tim looked at her and tried not to laugh. He wasn't sure how they ended up covered in flour. Well, he knew _how_ , what he wasn't sure was who started the flour war, though he was pretty sure it wasn't him. That was the best thing about 'the plan'. He had found a different side of Ziva, one he didn't know existed. Who knew she could be so impulsive, without the intent to harm, he grinned. Then again, Tim thought, he knew he was different when away from the pressure of work, so it made sense that others might be as well.

She looked pretty cute covered in white, he thought, as he absently brushed some flour off her cheek. Then again, she always looked beautiful, inside and out, he realized before instinctively leaning in to kiss her. Correction, kissing Ziva was _the_ best thing about the plan, he realized. It was also something that he was beginning to think he was addicted to. Every time he was near her he wanted to kiss her. When he gave in to that impulse, he then didn't want to stop. He pulled back, realizing that the only cure for this addiction was distance. For a moment neither one said anything.

"We should probably get cleaned up," the words breaking the silence that had hung between the two since their lips had separated.

"Is your go bag in the car? If you get it, you can change and shower if you need to."

"No need to shower; that can wait until I get home, a change of clothes will suffice."

One took possession of the bedroom and bathroom to get clean, the other worked in the kitchen before they switched positions.

"You ready for that game now?" Tim asked once they and the kitchen were cleaner.

* * *

Tony grinned as he climbed the stairs of the apartment building and reached the designated floor. He walked softly, so as not to inform others of his presence. Outside, McGee's door, he leaned an ear to it, hoping to hear something that would indicate how things were going.

At the silence, he automatically leaned back in surprise. It's only a bit after 2030, Probie and his girlfriend should be in there. With a shrug, he knocked on the door. After a few minutes and no response or answer, he knocked again, this time louder. This created a response, unfortunately it was canine in nature. From the sounds he heard, Jethro had approached the door and began barking.

Yet still no human voiced were heard. Tony debated what to do next. He could leave, go to the local Irish Pub and celebrate the day that way, without seeing McGee's girlfriend or he could let himself in, as was his habit, and find out what was going on.

He smiled, that was probably the easiest decision he had ever had to make, he thought as he withdrew his lock picking tools.

As he opened the door, Jethro moved closer and became more animated. Instinctively, Tony held his hand out for the canine to sniff, hoping he would be remembered as a friend, even if it had been a while since he was last here. Once the dog settled down, retreating to his bed, Tony looked around.

No one in the living room, neat as usual, no doubt due to McDomestics OCD tendencies. Kitchen was pretty immaculate as well; definitely no Irish stew or shepherds pie had been cooked in there tonight.

He frowned and turned away, hoping that Probie's 'she's not my girlfriend' friend didn't cancel on the poor guy, even if that is what appeared to have happened. "He just can't seem to catch a break with the ladies," Tony muttered sadly.

Wondering if McSingleagain was crying in the bedroom or perhaps drunk and passed out, Tim gently pushed the door opened and peeked inside. Empty, Tony realized worriedly. He hoped the younger agent didn't decide to go out to drown his sorrows. Irish or not, Tony was pretty sure that he couldn't hold his liquor.

As he went to leave, something in the bathroom caught his eye. He headed in that direction to quickly investigate. Since without knowing where Probie was or when he would be back, he could be interrupted at any time.

He smirked as he picked up the feminine makeup and toiletry bag that was sitting on the counter by the sink. Probie has been holding out on him, he realized with a smirk. There was only one reason why she would be keeping things like this in his bathroom and that would be because she's spent more than one night here. No denying that she's his girlfriend now, he thought, as he retreated from the bathroom and bedroom to exit the apartment, making sure to lock it as he left.

Of course, that didn't explain why the apartment was empty right now. Perhaps he ruined dinner and after they cleaned up they went out to eat? Maybe they had fought, she had left, and Tim had gone running after her?

Whatever had happened, tomorrow should be fun, Tony smirked, as he tried to come up with a plan to get the truth out of Timothy McGee.

* * *

1-19-19

Wonder what you guys think of Tony's actions...

next chapter continues St. Patrick's day celebration...

Thank you to everyone for all of the reviews, I definitely enjoy reading them (really love them-like maybe more than I love bacon)

AmyV24: New England-Massachusetts to be specific (Maybe I should've added go patriots to my post?). Oh, my, I kinda like the idea of Gibbs rescinding rule 12 & announcing that. Of course, the first thing Tony _might_ do is ask Ziva out and well, wouldn't that be interesting? Okay, now you might've just given me another cute fluffy bunny...Everyone, if I get distracted from this fic, it's AmyV24's fault


	56. Tue Mar 17 Gut Instinct (J56)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

It was a close game, and for a change, not a high scoring one. It appeared that both players were distracted. Tim knew that he had the kiss on his mind. He couldn't believe he did that. Granted, since their first kiss, that was almost all he could think about, kissing her again, but he hadn't given in to those thoughts and feelings, and if he did it was usually just a quick peck on the lips or cheek. Throughout the game, he kept sneaking looks at Ziva, wondering what she was thinking about since she wasn't up to par either. He suspected it was the kiss as well, the only issue was if it was in a good way or a bad one. On the plus side, she hadn't killed him...yet, he added as he carefully watched her handle a knife.

Ziva sliced and served the desserts while Tim made Irish Coffee. He had informed Ziva that it wasn't truly a St. Patrick's Day celebration if you didn't have some type of alcohol.

"I might have to rethink that dessert party idea," she commented after the first bite. "You know, you never told me why you decided that we needed to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at my apartment instead of yours. It's not like my place has anything yours doesn't."

Tim looked around her place, "It's a bit bigger, and not as cluttered."

"That may be true, but it is not like that additional space mattered a lot tonight. And I like your clutter," she added with a smile, "Your place is very you, it is welcoming and friendly and screams home. My place, however…" she left the sentence unfinished, instead glancing around and letting the room speak for itself. "It couldn't have been easy packing everything up and bringing it over."

"That's true, especially since I brought enough for several different desserts," he admitted sheepishly. "As for being here, my gut was telling me it was the right thing to do, to be away from my apartment tonight," he explained.

Ziva frowned in thought, "Do you have a lot of Irish neighbors?"

Puzzled, Tim responded, 'No, at least I don't think so, why?"

"I thought maybe you were subconsciously remembering the previous year's celebration; that they had gotten too loud and rowdy."

"No, that's definitely not it, it's a pretty quiet building," he explained, "Jethro is probably one of the loudest tenants," he stated before adding, "Of course there is Mrs. Colter's Yorkshire Terrier, though he is more annoying than loud," Tim corrected himself.

"And you are probably one of the quietest tenants," she predicted.

"Perhaps," Tim replied, slightly embarrassed that she believed that, even it was close to the truth.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with that," she admonished, "There is a strength in quietness."

Tim smiled and took another sip of his coffee, smiling into his cup, Ziva watched him for a moment before doing the same.

"Do you think Gibbs would notice if we bring Irish coffee into work tomorrow?" She asked, enjoying the flavors.

Tim snorted, "Most likely, he's Gibbs, nothing gets by him."

"Shame, this would go a long way in helping when dealing with Tony," she stated, making Tim laugh.

"Those recipes were incredible," Ziva sincerely stated. "Thank you for sharing them with me. I would really like it if you told me more about your family, about your childhood," Ziva said before asking a few questions. "What was the best and worst part of your childhood? Who in your family was the greatest influence on you?"

Tim frowned as he thought about her questions. "You know Sarah, there's almost 10 years between us, so it was strange when she was born," Tim began, before talking more about his sister, mother, and grandmother, Penny. As he talked, the two shifted around on Ziva's couch, rather than facing each other as they had earlier, Ziva was now next to him, her left side against his right, both holding their cups in their dominant hands.

"You haven't said anything about your father," Ziva observed.

"Not much to say, we haven't talked in years," he admitted.

"I understand difficult fathers," she stated with a frown, "But surely there is something, a memory when you were a kid, perhaps a special holiday or birthday celebration, oh, you mentioned he got you a car, that must be a good memory?"

"Kinda," Tim reluctantly admitted, before falling into his memories. "The car was an accident on my father's part, not because I got into an accident with it," he explained, "but because he didn't mean to do it, didn't intend to do it," Tim said with a grin. "He had made an offhand comment regarding something that I wanted to do, something that he didn't think I could accomplish. If it happened before I turned 16, he would buy me any car I wanted when I got my license, if it didn't happen, I would attend Annapolis and follow his plan for my life."

Ziva's mouth opened in shock, and she turned her head to look at him, "You _bet_ on your future?"

"No, I bet on myself and my father bet against me," Tim snapped. "Er, sorry. It was half a lifetime ago, yet it still gets to me. I was so proud that I had accomplished what I wanted to, that I achieved my goals, my dream, despite my father working against me," he said, losing himself in the memory.

"Amazingly, the day I got my license, my father was actually on leave. That night he gave me the keys to the car, but he also gave me another envelope. I didn't open it until days later, I was so excited to drive the car."

"What was in the other envelope?" she asked softly, moving closer to him, leaning on his right side as his arm dropped from resting on the back of the couch to wrapping around her shoulders.

"Basically notice that if I accepted the car and refused to follow his plan, to attend Annapolis, that I was denying the family tradition, and he had no choice but to not support me in that."

"He kicked you out?"

"Not quite, my mother and Penny wouldn't let him," Tim admitted, "Not that it mattered much, I was heading to college anyway, but he did refuse to pay for it, luckily I had some scholarships and money from my mother's side of the family."

"That still must have been tough," Ziva thought about his words, as realization hit her, "Is that why you help Sarah out so much?"

Tim shrugged, "I know what it's like eating Ramen two or three times a day, several times a week."

"Ramen?"

"That's a meal for another time," Tim said with a smile as he shook his head, "There are actually whole cookbooks dedicated to Ramen recipes."

"What is so surprising about that?"

"You'll see," he promised.

Ziva nodded and diverted the attention back to the original topic, "And things didn't get better with your father?"

A shake of his head, "If anything things got worse, especially after I joined NCIS. Most sailors aren't fond of us, especially captains, thinking we stick our noses into their business. What happens on their ship and how they run it is their business and they don't want strangers poking around."

Ziva nodded, she remembered some of the looks they received, she also heard some of the stories Tony had told after being agent afloat for a few months.

"You asked who was the greatest influence on me," Tim began, "I would love to say that it was Penny. I wish that it was Penny. She was incredible. She always supported me, listened to me, helped me. I wish that I was as confident and sure as she is, that I believed in myself as much as she believed in me. Unfortunately, the one with the biggest influence on me and my life is the one I wish had the least, my father."

Tim tightened his arm around her, and leaned his cheek against the top of her head, subconsciously preventing her from looking at him, as he thought about his father. He was glad she was there yet equally happy that he could not see her face as he talked. "You once asked why I always look for hidden meanings when people say something personal. For as long as I could remember, even as a small child, my dad critiqued everything I did. Not just correcting everything, but really harsh critique," he said, once more remembering. "He would ask why I was so stupid, why I couldn't do anything right, he would yell, swear, scream, but he never helped. He just told me all the things I was doing wrong, which to him," Tim added, his lips in a grim line, "was everything. He told me the only hope I had in life was for the Academy to make me into something, because on my own I was nothing.

"Even as I got older and it was proven that I was smart, to him, I wasn't. He didn't yell or scream as often, since there was now a baby in the house, and he adored Sarah," Tim added, "Something we both had in common, but he still…everything he said had a hidden meaning, a deeper meaning, and that meaning was negative."

Tim sighed, "I remember one time he actually said 'good job this time'. I was so happy, thinking that finally, I did something he was proud of. It wasn't until later, when I overheard him talking to someone, that I learned what he really meant, that one success does not make up for past failures and that it was luck that made the difference, nothing that I had done.

"Any confidence I had in myself or my abilities rapidly diminished. Even that stupid bet that I won, I felt like I loss. He was my father, surely he should know more than my teachers about what I could accomplish? He didn't believe in me, so how could I believe in myself?

"Getting away from him was good for me, the best thing I've ever done," Tim admitted. "I was away from his constant torment, hearing praise that I often didn't believe or felt had hidden meaning, but at least the only words from my father were those that ran in my mind, unheard by everyone else. I did start to believe in myself again," he added, "I wouldn't have gotten this far if I hadn't, but underneath, sometimes I still feel like that little boy who can't do anything right, whose father doesn't believe he _can_ do anything right." Tim concluded softly.

She could feel Tim's lips briefly lift upwards as he admitted, "I've never talked to anyone about this. Even my family doesn't know about some this."

Ziva stayed nestled against his side for a few minutes, her head leaning against his chest as she allowed him time to gather himself together. While he was talking, she wanted so badly to pull away from his so she could look at his face, look him in the eye so he could see how much she thought his father was wrong, how much she believed in him, and the disgust she felt for his father and the rest of his family for not stopping it, but she knew her actions would probably cause Tim to withdraw into himself and stop talking. After a few moments, when he seemed to relax a bit, she turned her head to meet his eyes. "Thank you for telling me," she said softy as she lifted one hand to cup his cheek, "And your father is an idiot," she added before reaching up to place a kiss on his lips. "You are smart," and another kiss, "Talented," kiss, "successful," kiss, "Strong," kiss, her list went on, each word being punctuated with a kiss deeper than the last.

The hour had grown late and Tim had finished packing up the leftovers and had left to return to his apartment. After closing and locking the door behind him, Ziva leaned against it, thinking about the evening. A lot had happened tonight. As much as she wanted to lay in bed and think about the kisses they shared, she knew that the conversation about his father held more important information, especially in connection to understanding Timothy McGee.

Shaking her head to break out of her trance-like state, she retreated to her bedroom and absently followed her nightly routine. As she laid in bed, she continued to think about what she had learned about her friend this evening.

She knew he had issues with self esteem, but she just thought it was from being bullied at school. She had no idea he had been bullied and abused at home. And that's what it was, she thought sadly. Emotional and mental abuse was still abuse. It also explained why Tim was so different from his sister. Their father had treated them very differently. Sarah was his princess, the one who could do no wrong, like many daughters were in their father's eyes. Tim, however, had figuratively been beaten down. Told that he was always wrong; shown that he wasn't worth anything unless he did things his father's way, which, in his eyes, was the right way, the only way.

She now understood his habit of believing people meant the worse; it also explained a lot more regarding his interactions and feelings with Tony. Ziva gave a sarcastic laugh, it was ironic that Timothy ended up working with someone who must seem so much like The Admiral in how they treated Tim that those two could be thought of as father and son.

It also explained Tim's continuous comments about CCU and transferring. If he felt getting away from his father was the best thing he ever did, subconsciously he could very well believe that getting away from Tony, Abby, the entire MCRT would also be a good decision. That worried Ziva more than she thought possible. In fact, it literally kept her up most of the night. Thankfully she had already told Tim that she wouldn't be running with him and Jethro tomorrow, but that she would be by to pick him up for work.

1-20-19

* * *

So, a bit about Tim's past and his father...few little tweaks thanks to Dw.618

Okay, so I hope to have this finished by 2-2-19 (groundhogs day-LOL)

Now, I gotta go shovel the driveway...if I'm not too frozen, maybe I'll clean be able to get another chapter up today...


	57. Wed Mar 18, Favorites (J57)

Not Beta'd; standard disclaimer applies

* * *

"How was everyone's St. Paddy's Day?" Tony asked as he entered the bullpen, noticeably staring at McGee.

"Good," Tim answered flashing Tony a slight smile, before returning his attention to his computer.

"Mine was very nice," Ziva admitted, throwing a smile in Tim's direction. After arriving at his apartment that morning, Tim insisted that they take his car and he drive. He said it was so she could rest and relax after their late night, but Ziva suspected it was more so he could focus on the road and not on the previous evening. He had been quieter than normal this morning on the ride in, more so than could be blamed on traffic or the fact that he was driving. Things had also been quiet since they arrived in the bullpen. Gibbs had obviously noticed the tension between the two. Luckily, he hadn't commented, just glanced between the two agents. Tim's quietness was very alarming to Ziva. She hoped he wasn't regretting either their conversation or their kisses, a topic neither of them had brought up.

"Really? No trouble in paradise?" he questioned, looking at Tim, who just shook his head, still working. "Peggy doing well?"

"Yes," Tim replied, wondering why Tony was so interested and pressing the issue. Suddenly Tim froze. Did he suspect? Did he know? Could he have found out that _Ziva_ was Peggy? That it all started as a prank against him? No, Tim decided firmly, telling himself to calm down, Tony couldn't have figured it out. He would've called them both on it if he even suspected the truth.

"Really, McBlarney?" He asked again, staring at Tim who paled at those words, at that nickname. Some of Tony's nicknames he didn't mind, believing them to be said in jest, some, however were insulting and offensive. This latest one was definitely _not_ in the former category. There was no doubt about it now. Tony knew _something_ , though Tim did not know what or how.

"And how did the dinner you cook turn out? You know, those family recipes," Tony asked, glaring at the younger man. The fact that McGee paled was definitely an indication that he was hiding something.

After leaving Tim's empty apartment yesterday, he had done some more thinking. Maybe Tim _had_ been lying to him for the last month and there was no girl. After all, he was adamant about saying he didn't have a girlfriend, perhaps Abby was right and that was why. It was entirely possible that the makeup and toiletry bag he found in the bathroom belonged to his sister. In fact, just yesterday, Tim had mentioned that he had spent most of the weekend tutoring Sarah for a midterm she had. Tim had commented that his sister not only often spent time at his apartment when she needed a quiet and relaxing place to study, but also that she was pretty forgetful.

"Good," he answered, not wanting to ignoring his fellow agent, nor did he want to fight argue with him. Tim was also trying his hardest not to think about last night.

"You cooked and shared your family recipes for her?" Tony persisted.

Tim looked at him, and shook his head, there was no way Tony was going to let this go, the only way to stop this was to answer the questions. Hopefully once Tony had the answers he sought, the matter would be dropped. "In a way," he responded, looking up and meeting his partner's eyes. "I did some of the prep work before I got to her place, but we cooked them together, I thought it would be more fun that way," and it was fun, he thought, as images of the time they spent together last night, the teasing and laughter they shared in the kitchen, even while cleaning up floated through his mind. "We actually got into a flour fight while cooking dessert," Tim added impulsively as the image of Ziva covered in flour popped into his mind, how he brushed some off her cheek before leaning in to kiss her.

"I se-wait…went over _there_ ," Tony repeated, stressing the last word and staring at Tim in shock. "She really does exist and you cooked dinner for her at her place?"

Tim rolled his eyes at the part about her existing, but otherwise ignored that statement, "Yeah, we've spent a lot of time at my place, between me not having a car, Jethro, and habit, that I thought we should spend more time at her apartment. I…" he hesitated.

"What, Probie?"

Tim shrugged, "It is nothing, it was just my gut was telling me that we shouldn't be at my place last night," he reluctantly admitted. "Nothing seemed to happen there, though, so…" he shrugged again, dismissing it.

"Oh…Maybe it wasn't your gut, just hunger pains," Tony joked as he thought about what Tim had said. "So nothing's wrong with you and McMrs?"

Tim smiled broadly, not commenting on the new nickname for Ziva. He also didn't dare look at her, knowing if he did, he would probably end up laughing. Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't tease her about it later. "I'm beginning to think everything is very right," he happily replied, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Oh," he repeated, shaking his head, "So dinner which you cooked together, how was it?"

"Delicious," he reported dryly. "Everything went well, the food came out great. I even brought some for lunch," he admitted.

Tony perked up on hearing that, "Are there enough leftovers for two?"

"Yes," Tim acknowledged. "Sadly she couldn't bring it to work, so I brought some for my favorite teammate,"

"Ah, thanks, probie,"

"Ziva," Tim finished.

"Really, Probie? Why Ziva?"

"Why you?" Tim retorted.

"We've worked together longer," Tony pointed out. "And probably have a closer relationship."

"If a close relationship was a factor, Abby would be before you," Tim pointed out.

"Well, yeah, okay, but I don't get you in trouble with Gibbs as much."

"You don't? Really?" came the skeptic reply.

"Fine, I might" Tony reluctantly admitted, "But that does not change the fact that I've been there for you."

"So has Ziva," Tim retorted. "Who gave me a ride to and from work for the two plus weeks when I was without my car? Who offered to take me grocery shopping during that time period? Wh-"

"Hey! You went shopping with the potential, that doesn't count."

Tim raised an eyebrow, "Ziva offered. All you did was mention how difficult that must be to do without a car and wish me luck."

"But, but, I didn't know food was a factor."

"So you would've helped me if you knew there was something in it for you?" Tim asked angrily while staring at Tony, who was smart enough not to comment, knowing that there wasn't a right answer to Tim's question or tone. "Yeah, being a friend like that, it's obvious you should be my favorite," he snapped before muttering something about coffee and leaving.

Ziva watched as he left, wanting to talk to him. She was fairly confident that the anger he was feeling was more directed at his father than at Tony. No doubt remembering how much Tony's words and actions imitated the Admirals, brought those feelings to the forefront of his mind.

She reconnected to the world around her when Tony began speaking once more, "Did he say a flower fight? What did they do, throw rose petals at each other?"

"You don't cook or bake much, do you, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he entered the bullpen.

"Er, not from scratch," he admitted.

"Flour, the white powdery substance used when making cakes," Gibbs supplied.

"Oh. Why?"

Gibbs had a fond smile on his face as he turned away, "Because it can be fun, and the best part of any fight is making up, and with food involved, clean up is usually also a factor."

"Oh. OH!" he exclaimed, realizing what the boss was implying, "Go, Probie!" he cheered.

Ziva smiled remembering the fun they had last night, including their first kiss of the evening, which occurred because of their war. At the time it had really surprised her.

She had initiated most of their recent kisses. The majority of their kisses the past five weeks had just been lips only briefly meeting the other's in the lightest of pecks. Yet last night that had changed. Tim had taken the initiative first, but she had followed after their discussion about his father while comforting him. She hoped it was a sign of things to come.

"What's this?" Tony asked, seeing something wrapped in foil on his keyboard. He looked up and noticed that Gibbs also had one on his desk, but McGee and Ziva did not.

Ziva smiled as she recognized the foil wrapped packages. She had wondered why Tim had deliberately cut two slices of the Irish Soda Bread, wrapped them in foil and then placed them aside. Part of her had suspected he had done so as a treat for them for breakfast. It looks like she was partly correct.

While she was thinking about it, Tony carefully opened the package. "It's Irish Soda Bread," he said in wonder, looking at his teammates in shock. "I thought he was going to use this for bread pudding?"

Gibbs also stared at his offering, "Apparently he either didn't or had some left over."

"Wow," Tony replied, still surprised at his Probie's actions. "Ah, Ziva, do you want a piece?" he asked, remembering that he didn't see any on her desk.

"Thank you, but I already had some," she replied honestly.

"Oh, right, you guys carpooled in, he probably gave you some then."

Ziva just inclined her head in acknowledgement of his words before turning her attention back to the file on her desk.

* * *

"So a little bird told me that you're serious about the non girlfriend."

"You mean the imaginary one?" Tim remarked, still upset regarding her theory. Of course, in a way she was correct, he couldn't help but think.

After retrieving some coffee, he hadn't wanted to return to the bullpen right away, and ended up in the lab before he really even knew he was headed there.

"McGee," Abby stated, turning to glare at him. "What do you expect me, _us_ to believe when you haven't said much about her and what you have said has burned a hole Tony's investigative gut."

Tim snorted, "I think you mean his nosiness."

Abby shrugged dismissively, not really seeing the difference. "You've been seeing her for almost two months and still won't tell us her name or even a hint of her identity. That makes me think you're not really serious about her."

Tim stared at her in surprise, she really thought that?

"I know you," Abby added. "You leap first, look later when it comes to love. The fact you've stayed on the ledge regarding your relationship with her tells me something is holding you back. I think it's because deep down you know you don't really care as much as think you do, or that she doesn't care as much about you and your mind is trying to protect your heart, and well, the fact that she hasn't really taken your relationship forward seems to confirm that, or-"

"Abby," Tim interrupted, not wanting to hear more options.

Recognizing that Timmy was about to shut down and stop listening to her, she left her other ideas unsaid for now. She had more important points she need to make. "Look, Tim, I know you, I care for you. I know that a relationship, a real, true, serious relationship," she explained, "is something that you have wanted for years. With you not taking that final step, that jump, well, I really think you want the relationship more than you want her."

"It's complicated," he finally stated.

Abby snorted, 'As someone recently said to me, 'Aren't all relationships complicated?'" she rhetorically replied. "I think you need to end this relationship, and I think you know it and that's why you haven't done anything to press it forward. I also think that you are enjoying the relationship too much to end it, and that's why you haven't."

Tim frowned, confused by her words, if he was enjoying the relationship, why should he end it?

As if knowing what he was thinking, she added, "This is the first time that _you_ have been involved in a relationship and Tony hasn't. I think you are enjoying the novelty of that, you talking about your dates and your girl, while Tony just sits there and listens."

Tim rolled his eyes, Tony never just sits there and listens, he always has something to say. However, she was right about his partner not currently being involved with anyone. Tony hasn't said a word about any of his dates for about a month now.

"At least your situation has an easy fix," Abby informed him, bringing him out of his thoughts and back into reality. "Now Ziva, Ziva has problems with her guy."

Tim froze at those words. "What? She does?"

"Yeah," Abby responded sadly.

"What type of problems?" Tim asked curiously, hoping that maybe Ziva revealed some of what she was feeling to Abby.

"Not too different from yours, actually," Abby stated. "She's also thinking it might be best to end it," Abby let slip before adding, "Don't tell her I told you."

Tim just nodded as he walked out of the lab. Here he was wanting more, while Ziva seemed to only want friendship.

* * *

"Ziva?" Tim said suddenly, making sure to keep his eyes on the road in front of him. "Am I taking things too far, going too fast?" Getting caught up in the role, he wanted to ask, but settled for the first two. The conversation with Abby had been playing back in his head all day.

Ziva shot him a surprised look, "If you are talking about your driving," she began heatedly, "It is not that bad."

"I know my driving isn't bad. Just because I don't drive 80 mph in a 60 mile zone or 45 in a 30, doesn't make me a bad driver, just more conscientious," he pointed out, "But, no, that's not what I'm talking about," he admitted.

"Oh." Ziva said, realizing what he meant but unsure how to respond. She really hadn't expected this conversation to happen now, not in the middle of the work week.

Tim waited patiently for a few minutes for Ziva to continue. When she didn't say another word about her driving or their relationship, he suspected that Abby was right. He cursed himself for telling Tony that he thought everything was right in his relationship, especially since Ziva was in the room. Now she probably knew how he felt, knew that he was falling for her, knew he wanted more, while she did not.

He has to fix this some how, has to ease the awkwardness his question had wrought. Taking a deep breath, he started talking.

"It's great that we've gotten closer, as friends. Bein-Spending time with you is so easy and comfortable. I consider you one of my best friends. I know things haven't quite worked out the way we envisioned with Tony, but well, we can't change anyone else right? How they act or what they feel? We only have control over ourselves, and even then sometimes, it's not possible to control your feelings," he rambled, adding in bits about how Tony really believes his relationship with Peggy was serious, how it was driving him and Abby crazy that they don't know anything about her, how they still believe she doesn't exist. "Anyway, I'm glad we set up the rules at the beginning about doing what seems natural and acting like this is a real relationship, and about talking with each other about anything. As long as we keep that and everything else in mind, our friendship will stay strong, I don't want to lose my new friend when this ends," he finally concluded. He wanted her to know that he wouldn't let his feelings interfere with their friendship or work relationship. He didn't, couldn't blame her for how she felt, or didn't feel. Wouldn't let things between them change.

"Me too," she softly replied.

1-21-19

* * *

hmm, I'm not crazy about this chapter...but felt I messed around with it as much as I could without totally reworking the latter half of the story...

I can totally see Tim doing that with the bread, leaving it on their desk, especially after the conversation about it the previous day...

Abby and Ziva talk next chapter...


	58. Thurs Mar 19, Revelations (J58)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Hey, thanks for grabbing lunch for me," Abby said as Ziva entered the lab, carrying a box of take out.

"It is no problem," she replied, looking around at the evidence spread out on the table.

"It is when you're starving and can't leave the lab to get something," Abby replied, leading Ziva into her office. "Luckily I can eat while my babies do their thing. Did you bring your lunch down? I would love some company."

Ziva shook her head, "No, but I can stay for a few minutes, I could use the break."

"Timmy and Tony driving you crazy?" Abby knowingly asked, opening her food.

"We are still on cold cases," Ziva said, as if that was enough of an explanation, and for anyone who was familiar with the MCRT, it was. No active cases meant more free time, which led to squabbles, pranks, and mischief. The fact that they are on their third day of cold cases makes everything much worse. Tony continuing to ask about Peggy or guy in tights, Tim getting frustrated and annoyed at the personal questions, Ziva barely keeping a hold on her knives and temper.

"Oooh, this looks great," Abby stated, before giving the food another glance. "Where is this from?"

Ziva shrugged, "I do not know. It is a place that Tim likes. He did the lunch run today."

"Ah, I think I know which place," Abby said with a nod. Tim was a creature of habit. "Speaking of McGee, what do you know about his girlfriend?"

"That she's"

"Not his girlfriend," Abby interrupted with a roll of her eyes, "Yeah, I know, Timmy says it often enough, but I meant besides that."

Ziva frowned, "Actually I was going to say that she is not make believe."

Abby's head shot up and she looked at Ziva suspiciously, "First, it was just a theory, okay? Let it rest. Second, and more important, you've met her?"

The liaison officer smiled, "We have not been formally introduced."

"But you know something," Abby realized. "Who is she? What does she look like? How long have they known each other? How did they meet? Do you really think it's serious between them?" Abby continued asking one question after another. It was only when her stomach growled that she finally stopped, realizing that she couldn't eat and talk at the same time.

Ziva waited a few minutes before giving a shrug. "I think if you want to know, you need to ask Tim. Not demand to know, but ask," she repeated.

Abby bit her tongue to keep from telling Ziva about the conversation she recently had with Tim about Peggy. After Tim left her lab yesterday, she felt bad about sharing Ziva's troubles with him. She promised herself that she wouldn't let personal information like that slip again. She was just glad that she didn't go into detail and that it was McGee she had said it to. She knew Timmy would keep it to himself, Tony, on the other hand, would have fished and pestered Ziva for more information.

"I just want to make sure that he's not in over his head," she finally said. "I know Timmy. He falls hard and he falls quickly, and it seldom lasts. Rarely is anything there for it _to_ last. He rushes into the relationship before he truly knows her, wanting so badly for it to work," she explained. "Tony mentioned a few things that had me concerned, like the fact that Timmy has mentioned leaving," she added. "He loves NCIS, if he is talking about that, it makes me worry that he is really confused or being pressured into something. Perhaps in his head everything is all jumbled and he is mixing up love with other feelings."

"It is easy to do, apparently," Ziva replied, her words reminding her of the recent conversation she had with the medical examiner.

"You and your knight?" Abby inquired.

"He is not mine," Ziva replied, "and I do not think he wants to be. Every time we are together, or I think about our," slight pause, "relationship, my thoughts get all, as you say, jumbled, and I cannot help but question our feelings."

"Did you decide to give up on him?"

Ziva gave her a sad smile, "I think that is the one thing I will not do, at least not right now."

"Good, I think he is perfect for you," Abby agreed, before deciding, "I'll eat, you talk. Maybe without alcohol we can figure this out once and for all. Now, tell me everything that you are thinking and feeling," she ordered.

"It seems like we can talk about everything except how we are feeling. When I decide to make the opportunity to talk with him about our relationship, to seek clarification about something he said or to find out how he really feels, something occurs that prevents that from happening." Ziva paused, and softly added, "I have begun to wonder if the universe is giving me a sign that we shouldn't be."

"I thought you said you weren't going to give up on him," Abby reminded her.

"I cannot fight or threaten the universe with a paperclip. Nor can I make him love me," she added softly.

"Uh-huh," Abby admonished. "You cannot think that way. Tell me _why_ you believe that he doesn't love you," Abby insisted, waving her fork around.

Once again, her thoughts and feelings felt all jumbled. Ziva felt twitchy, just sitting there talking with Abby. She needed movement; she needed something to focus on as they talked. Giving in to the urge, Ziva stood and began to pace, automatically taking out one of her knives and holding it, allowing the familiar hilt to provide some comfort, absently practicing various motions with it as she talked. "I told you about how we agreed that we were going to date for a few months? Well, I purposely mention things in the future, things we could do as a couple, _after_ that time ends. Things in late spring, the summer, even next year. He makes no comment. I mention that we should double date with his coworker, the one that is giving him trouble," Ziva reminded her friend, "And he decides that it would be a good opportunity to stage our break-up."

"Ouch," Abby whispers.

"The other day, for the first time since we began this, we made specific plans for during the week, rather than just on a weekend when the team might be off. _He_ initiated it, asked me to join him for dinner," she informed her friend. "I thought yes, he is putting himself out there…Then he mentions his coworkers name, that he could now inform him that he had plans for this week. It wasn't the first time he mentioned his coworker, either," Ziva explains. "A few weeks ago he kissed me and mentioned it was in case his friend asks.

"He has not tried anything either," Ziva reluctantly admitted, giving Abby a pointed look. "Even if I begin things, he does not elevate the situation.

"I mention spending the night at his place, he offers to sleep on the couch. About a week before that, we fell asleep one night while talking. I woke up in his arms, but he could not get away from me fast enough. I offered to cook dinner for us, mentions that if things go well, we could have breakfast, and he cancels. In none of these situations did he seek confirmation about what I might mean or even say 'another time'."

Abby's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

"At first he seemed to avoid any physical or emotional contact, at least, that which occurs between lovers. If it is a friendly gesture, he participates in that, otherwise..." Ziva's voice trails off and she gives a shrug.

Abby thought about her words, "You said at first he seemed to avoid physical and emotional contact, is that no longer true? Because that could be an indication that he's fallen as well, that he cannot help himself from touching you."

"Recently he has allowed more contact, even initiated some of it this week, but still hadn't mentioned it afterwards. It is as if he is pretending like it did not happen, both the intimate talks and the kisses.

"During our date this week, he kissed me. Really kissed me, not just a peck on the cheek or lips, afterwards, like I said, he didn't say a word about it, as if he had forgotten, or wanted to forget that it happened. Later during the evening, I took the opportunity to kiss him, more than once. We spent about an hour on the couch kissing. Again, nothing was said, and he did not even try to wrestle an invitation to stay over," she concluded.

"Yesterday," Ziva began before pausing.

"Yes? Yesterday," Abby prompted when the younger woman remained silent.

"He asked about if he was going too far or too fast. He was not talking about driving," Ziva added pointedly. "My heart lodged in my neck," Ziva admitted. Abby had to bite her tongue to keep from correcting her; she did not want to interrupt this revelation. "I could not believe that he had brought us up like that, out of the blue, in the middle of the week, while we were in the car. But before I could gather my thoughts and say anything he continued."

"And?"

She shrugged, "He talked for a bit about how he has enjoyed our time together, was glad we got to know one another better and deepen our friendship and that whatever happened, whatever we felt, would not interfere with that friendship, and again mentioned his coworker," she added. "I really don't know what he is thinking or feeling."

Abby frowned since that reminded her about how the conversation started. "What are you thinking or feeling?"

A puzzled Ziva turned to her, absently relinquishing her hold on the knife, "What do you mean?"

"It seems like you've spent an awful lot of time trying to figure out where he is at," she explained, "but that you haven't once said to him or me, where your heart was."

Ziva eyed her suspiciously, "Have you been talking to Ducky?"

"Nope," she replied. "Well, yeah, of course, but not about this, about you," Abby added. "What did Ducky have to say?"

Ziva sighed, it was her own fault for mentioning the doctor in the first place, "That the universe wasn't giving me a sign that _we_ are not meant to be, but rather a sign that I need to figure out what _I_ want us to be."

Abby grinned, "Smart man, the Duckster."

Moments pass without either one speaking.

"I am going to tell you what _I_ think," Abby began. "This is based not just off of today's conversation, but the one from last Sunday as well."

Ziva nodded as she thought back to their conversation at the beginning of the week.

"Okay, first, as I said last week, I can't imagine anyone doing the things he has done for you, the ballet and Valentine's Day especially, and doing them for someone they only think of as a _friend_ ," she paused, "Well, unless one of those friends were dying, and no one is, right?" she asked, receiving a confirming nod in reply. "Second, well, it's just if you have learned so much more about him, it is entirely possible that he has experienced the same. That quite possibly, he is thinking and feeling _exactly_ like you are. Perhaps he does not want to risk ruining your friendship, both old and new. I really think he does care for you, more than either you or even he realizes."

Ziva thought about her words. If that was true, if he had developed feelings for her, than McGee was much better at hiding his thoughts and feelings than anyone had ever expected.

"Third, have you figured out what you wanted?" Abby asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Uh-huh, don't tell me," Abby continued when Ziva opened her mouth. "I think you have. When we talked last Sunday I suspected what you felt, what you wanted. You just have to admit it to yourself and act on it. You seem to want a guarantee or a safety net, but relationships, _life_ , doesn't come with those. Love especially does not," Abby informed her friend. "Anything worth having should be worth risking it all for. _You_ need to be the one to put it all on the line. If he knows your past, if he knows you as well as he thinks he does, I can understand that perhaps that is what he is waiting for," Abby shared. "And yes, maybe it's not right or fair," she continued when Ziva opened her mouth, "But, well, let's face it, I don't know who this guy is, but I'm pretty sure you're the only one in the relationship who can kill with a paperclip. Not to mention your skills with a knife," Abby added, remembering her friend's earlier motions. "Plus, if you ever mentioned me to him, he knows that you have someone who can help you get rid of all forensic evidence."

Ziva couldn't help but smile at those words. "He is actually not intimidated or fearful of me," she admits. "Respectful of the skills I have, yes, but not afraid."

"That proves right there that he's probably the one for you," Abby stated, grinning at her. "Though Tony would probably say that makes him insane."

Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, my friend, you have given me much to think about."

"Anytime," Abby said, as she cleaned up her lunch plates. "Now, I have best get back to work," she said, right as Major Mass Spec beeped.

* * *

"Ziva?" Ducky asked as the Israeli entered autopsy. "What brings you down here?"

"Not really sure," Ziva replied. "Just needed to wander a bit before I headed back to the bullpen and it was too cold to go outside. Then I was here."

"Sounds like you have a lot on your mind," the older man acknowledged, giving her a scrutinizing look.

"Life has been…interesting lately."

"Oh? In what way?" Ducky asked, meeting her gaze. "I have always been fascinated with interesting tales."

"Of that, I have no doubt," Ziva agreed, giving him a smile. "Just doing a bit of thinking, some unexpected things have happened."

"With your young man?" Ducky asked.

"Yes," she admitted. "Love…it is complicated."

Ducky smiled as he poured them some tea. "My dear, love is many things, but complicated? Maybe not as much as you think. It is only when you think about it with your head instead of feeling it with your heart that it becomes so. That is when the trouble starts."

Ziva looked at him searchingly. "Ducky, if you do not mind me asking?"

"You can ask whatever you wish," he granted, "Simply allow me the right to not answer."

Ziva nodded, "Why have you never married? You are handsome, charming, fascinating, at ease with people…it is just surprising," she stated. What was even more surprising was that he never talked about his past relationships when he was younger. Ducky, who had a story for everything, never talked personally about love and romantic entanglements.

He gave her a sad smile, "Because I thought about love rather than feeling it," he admitted. "I've had many relationships in my life, some more serious than others. One very special, indeed," he informed her fondly, as memories flooded his mind. "I was young, just starting out. In my mind, I hadn't planned on marriage, a family, until I was established, older. I told her that we should wait, make sure our love was true. Thought we should be more mature, had experienced enough of life that we could make it as a couple. Thought I needed to be more than I was, had to offer her more than the love I felt for her. Thought she deserved more than living out of a suitcase as I traveled and learned. Time was on our side, I said. We could wait to take that final step until I was established and I could give her what she deserved."

"What happened? Did she not wait?"

Ducky fell silent for a few moments, simply staring into his tea cup. "I thought we had plenty of time," he said, giving her another sad smile. Ziva was not sure if he had answered her question or was continuing his story in his own way. "She disagreed with me, oh, she argued fiercely that we should stay together, that if we had each other, that was all we need. That having her by my side would benefit us both much more than being apart would. That being together would make our love, make us, stronger. That we could handle anything, as long as we were together. That if we wanted a future together, than we, both of us, had to build it together. That what she deserved was to love and be loved. But I was a stubborn fool, wouldn't listen. Thought I knew best, after all, I had this great life plan that I had created years before we even met."

"Ducky," Ziva said softly, placing a hand over his, "You do not have-"

"If it helps you figure things out, I will gladly share my story," he responded, patting her hand with his other one. "I went away, traveled to learn new things, make some contacts that would help me get established. The entire time I thought of her. She stayed home, worrying that something would happen to me, disease, war, plane crash, if it was possible, she imagined it happening to me," he shared. "I could not wait to get back to her, be with her. I missed her more than I had thought possible. The minute I left her, I wanted to go running back to her, but, as I said, I was a stubborn fool. Didn't want to admit that I had it all wrong, that she was right, that our love was, would have been enough, that my 'life plan' was created by an idiot who didn't know or understand love or life.

"Ironically, she was the one that tragedy struck. Less than six months after I left, she was gone."

"Ducky, I am so sorry," she empathized.

"If she had gone with me, she might not have gotten sick. Likewise, if I had stayed with her, I might have recognized her symptoms early enough to save her. Alas, neither of those things happened. I do not really know how or if things could have been different if I stayed or if she came with me, but what I do know is that I would have preferred to spend those six months with her, whether they were here last or not, than without her."

Ziva remained silent, thinking about his words and feeling that she owed him a bit of herself in return.

She hesitated, not use to discussing her intimate thoughts and feelings, her opinions and ideas, yes, of course, but feelings…not so much. "I cannot say that I have a life plan," she shared, "But when I envisioned my life, my future, I did not see someone like him by my side, could not imagine someone like him being there, _wanting_ to be there, based on my previous choices. In fact, I could not really imagine _anyone_ there," she admitted softly.

"When I first met him, years ago," she stated, "I definitely did not, could not see him in that role. To me, he was a friend and just a friend, someone to rely on, someone who would be there when you needed help, even if you hadn't talked or spent any time together recently.

"I never expected…this," she said, still not completely willing to put a label on what was happening. "What I am thinking and feeling now, I did not think it was possible, and especially not for someone so different than myself. I never imagined it would happen with him, and especially not the him I thought he was." She stopped and thought for a moment.

"Yet he is different than I thought he was," she shared, slowly, carefully stating the words, as if she still was not sure if she really knew him. "What I perceived as weaknesses, were actually strengths. I have learned about things he has done and experienced that truly surprised me. I enjoy being with him and I miss him when he is not around, even if I have seen or talked with him minutes or hours before. He makes me believe that _I_ matter, that I am important to him. He takes things I may have casually said or mentioned and he plans entire dates or weekends around them to please me."

"The ballet and amusement park," Ducky murmured softly.

"Yes," Ziva automatically agreed while absently nodding, "He is brave, loyal, caring, considerate, kind, dependable, helpful, selfless…loving. But I know that much of that is just part of his basic character, part of what makes him _him_ , and might not necessarily mean that he feels something more for me. With such character traits, is it really a surprise that I want to imagine that he cares more for me?"

Another pause before she changes the tone and direction of the conversation.

"My mind keeps remembering how I thought of him two months ago. It recognizes that these feelings have developed so quickly, that my thoughts have changed so suddenly, so completely. It also reminds me that if I was so wrong then, that perhaps I might also be wrong now. I am not used to being wrong," she confessed. "In my line of work, doing so could be fatal.

"Given all of this, surely you can understand why I am so confused?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

Ducky looked at her, waiting to make sure that there was nothing else she wanted to add before he spoke. "Were you really wrong?" he asked. "You might have viewed it differently, weakness vs. strength, but you weren't necessarily wrong about him. Similarly, the caring, concern, helpfulness, as you said, it is who he is. He might act that way with a friend, but even more so for someone he loves.

"As for what _you_ are feeling now," Ducky shrugged, "Only you can determine if that is real. Think about what you have with him. Is it something unique to him, to the two of you, or could you have that with someone else? And if you have gotten to know him as well as you say you have, you know that his is not just a paragon of virtue. Think of those as well, view him as he really is, do you care for all of him, or just the positive traits he possesses? Are you in love with him or in love with love?" Ducky asked shrewdly.

"The time that you are spending together, the things he does for you," Ducky stated, "Is it the _thing,_ his actions that have you head over heels, or the person behind them?

"As for it all being unexpected, Life is often unexpected. It could get rather boring and routine if we knew what each day held. Perhaps not being able to imagine it before it happens makes it that much better and valuable?" he suggested.

"Life is unpredictable; one never knows what could happen. If you truly love him, tell him, don't let your thoughts, or preconceived notions prevent you from declaring that love. Yes, it could be scary," Ducky admitted, "Especially when you say that you are unsure of his feelings, but well, love is giving someone the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to. Trust not only in your love, but in him."

Ziva nodded absently, as she prepared to leave, many of his words repeating in her mind, from things he shared regarding his past to the questions he asked at the end.

* * *

"Hey, Abs,"

"Tony! Hi," Abby happily greeted. "I hope you found something out about Peggy. We need to figure out who she is and fast so we can make sure everything is the way it should be."

"Nothing," Tony replied.

"Nothing?" she repeated with a frown.

He shrugged, "I tried, but Tim's gut prevented me from learning anything."

Abby looked at him curiously, causing him to explain how he suggested Probie cook an authentic Irish meal for her on Tuesday, while arranging for his car to have 'trouble' and phone battery to be dead while in his neighborhood. He then explained how he spent the rest of night when no one answered the door.

"Timmy definitely had the luck of the Irish with him that night," she snorted in response. "I can't believe you came up with such an elaborate ruse."

"Rule 7," he argued. "And it took me over half an hour to fix my car and get it running again," he replied. "Oh, yeah, did I mention that it started to drizzle as soon as I left his building and while I was working on my car, that rain turned into a downpour?"

This had Abby falling into full gales of laughter, imagining the scene, especially since it was all for naught.

"Hey! It's not like you did much better," he smirked.

"Yeah, but I didn't get soaked while doing it."

"I was sacrificing for the cause," he retorted.

Abby snickered again. "From my comfortable chair, I once more tried to ping his GPS locations."

"Tried?"

"Tried," Abby repeated sadly. "He blocked and protected his car and phone GPS so I need a password to access that information."

Tony frowned, "The password can't be too hard, after all, if anything happened to him, we would need to get in there."

"I know," Abby agreed, "And I tried everything I could think of. One more attempt would've locked his account and let him know that someone was trying to get in."

"Still, it can't be that difficult."

"It's not," Abby replied, "At least, not if you have the right information." At Tony's bewildered look, she explained, "I think it's Peggy's name, her _real_ name," she added.

"Which he hasn't told any of us," Tony noted sadly.

"On the plus side," Abby added, "He probably has it stored somewhere we could find it _if_ something happened to him. He knows better than to not let us be able to access that information if we needed to, so we just have to look for where he put it."

"Yeah, cause he won't notice us rifling through his desk, computer, or phone at all," Tony sarcastically muttered, shaking his head. "What else did you try?"

"I ran his credit cards," she admitted.

"What? Why?"

"To see if there was a certain area he went to each week. It could've helped pinpoint her location."

"Could've as in it didn't?"

Abby nodded, "Yeah, the only thing was a restaurant a few blocks from his place that he ordered at almost every week."

Tony nodded, not really surprised that there was nothing on the credit cards.

"And I think you might be right about him having another phone, I ran his phone records again, still no new numbers," she informed him. "So both of us got nothing," Abby stated glumly.

"Not completely nothing," Tony corrected, "When I let myself into his apartment, I did learn that she keeps a toiletry bag in his bathroom."

"Ooohh, that's bad," Abby muttered in response.

"Why?"

"Did she keep any clothes there?" Abby asked, ignoring Tony's question.

"Don't know, didn't check. Hey, I didn't have time," he replied defensively in response to her look. "Now, why is this bad?"

"Because it means it's serious."

"Because she spent the night?"

"More than one if she keeps a bag there," Abby pointed out. "And because I would have a better chance of convincing Tim to break up with her if they weren't intimate. I think I made some progress yesterday when talking to Timmy, but now, I-"

"Wait, what?" Tony interrupted, once he overcame his shock at her words. "Do you _want_ McGee to leave?"

"What? NO! Of course not," she yelled. "That's why I'm doing this, to make sure he stays."

"Abby, he told me that if things _don't_ work out with Peggy he will probably leave DC, perhaps NCIS."

Abby stared at him in shock. "You didn't tell me _that_. All you said was that he would leave because of her! I figured her job would send her some where and he would follow!"

Tony frowned, he couldn't completely blame this on here, that scenario did make sense. "Yeah, well, you better undo what you did to McGee if you don't want him to leave."

"I will, I will," She promised, stopping Tony before he left the lab. "Hey, can you return this to Ziva, she must've left it down here earlier," she said, handing him one of Ziva's knives. "I'm surprised she hasn't noticed it missing by now," she added.

* * *

"Zee? Are you okay?" Tim asked in alarm, the familiar nickname coming out automatically. Upon seeing her reappear in the bullpen, Tim's head started to turn once more to his computer screen before her appearance truly registered. She looked pale, and dazed, as if she was sick or had received shocking news of some kind. Immediately, he had leaped from his chair and headed towards her, guiding her towards her own desk. "Here, sit down. I'll call Ducky."

"What? Oh, no, I am fine. No need to contact him," she replied, taking a seat at her desk.

"You sure?"

"I am," she confirmed. "If I do not appear better shortly, then I give you leave to contact him," she added, trying to ease his concern.

Tim nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" he softly asked.

Ziva frowned and shook her head. No, she decided, she needed to think about this first before she said anything to Tim regarding the situation. "Maybe tonight, after I have had a chance to…"

"Process it?" he supplied with a grin. "I have no problem with that. But if there is anything I can do."

"Yes, process it" she agreed, and there was a lot of information to process. She placed her hand over his and gave a light squeeze, grateful that he understood and was so willing to help. "And thank you," she added, before withdrawing her hand and turning her attention to the case file on her desk.

"No problem," he asked, even as he wondered where she had been and what had happened.

"Hey, Ziva," Tony said as he entered the bullpen, "Missing something?" Before she could answer, he places her knife on the desk. "Abby said you left that in her lab. I'm actually surprised you didn't notice it missing and try to track it down?"

"Who said I did not?" Ziva asked, as she carefully put it away. "I knew I left it there, and meant to enter the lab to retrieve it after visiting Ducky, unfortunately, I got distracted and was unable to do so. I wasn't overly concerned since I knew Abby would take care of it for me until I could retrieve it."

"Right," Tony agreed, as both he and Tim wondered what could possibly distract her from retrieving one of her knives. Luckily for her, before the SFA could pry, Gibbs returned to the bullpen.

"Hey," he called, seeing most of his agents standing around, "Cold cases, now."

"Right, boss."

"On it, boss."

"Of course, Gibbs,"

The three agreed before getting back to work. As they did so, Gibbs's gaze drifted over his team. Something was going to give and soon, he didn't know what or when, he also knew that it wasn't his place to interfere, he decided as he returned to his desk, his phone ringing moments later.

"Gibbs...uh-huh...yep...you sure?...okay."

"Call out?" Tony eagerly asked, gear already in hand.

Gibbs shook his head, stifling a smile as Tony visibly deflated and all three looked at him curiously.

* * *

1-23-19

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it.

Look forward to reading your reviews...

Obviously, Ducky's past is non-cannon...but it does make me wonder why he isn't married.

* * *

love is giving someone the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to-found this online on wikihow Define-Love, kinda liked it & it seemed appropriate for this situation.


	59. Thurs-Fri Mar 19-20 Progress (J59)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies;

* * *

"McGee, with me," Gibbs said as he stood and walked away, all three staring after him for a moment before Tim raced to follow.

"Boss?" He questioned when Gibbs stopped under the stairwell, away from the eyes and ears of their team.

"That was Abby," Gibbs shared. "She says she needs assistance in the lab."

"Oh, uh, okay," Tim replied, not sure why that merited a conference.

"Tim, I know that she and DiNozzo are still questioning you about," Gibbs paused and rolled his eyes, before saying, "The girl you are seeing. I haven't forgotten what you told me last month about what Abby tried to do. If she called you down there just to pester you with personal questions, you are to immediately leave and return to your desk."

"Ah," Tim hesitated.

" _That_ is a direct order," Gibbs informed him, "And one I expect to be followed. She should not be calling you down there to satisfy her curiosity."

Tim nodded, "Right, boss," he replied, before turning to head down to the lab. "Um, the file on my desk," he said, turning back around to face his supervisor.

"I'll take care of it if you aren't back in ten minutes."

"Right, thanks boss," Tim said before once more heading for the stairs.

Gibbs watched him walk away before returning to the bullpen.

"Boss? Where's Probie?" Tony asked when he returned alone.

Gibbs just met his eyes and stared at him.

"Right, not my business," Tony muttered, unable to keep his eyes from falling to McGee's vacant desk.

"Do not even think it," Ziva hissed in warning, glaring at him.

Tony blinked, "I wasn't going to do anything."

Ziva snorted in disbelief before turning back to the file on her desk.

Gibbs took in their interaction, wondering what had caused that. "McGee is helping out another team with a case," he finally said.

Ziva paused as she flipped a page in the case file over. That was Tim, she had to forcefully remind herself, willing to help as needed, it does not mean that he requested or received a transfer to another team. Just because they did not have cases, that did not mean other teams were in the same ship…boat, she corrected herself.

Tony noticed Ziva's pause, wondering what it might mean. She seemed to know a lot more about what was going on with McGee than she shared. Could Probie have taken her into his confidence about Peggy or leaving NCIS?

"Back to work, you two," Gibbs ordered, noticing their inactivity.

* * *

Tim hesitated outside the door to Abby's lab. Her words from their last meeting were still echoing in his head. He couldn't help but think about them. He still hadn't really taken the time to realize whether or not she was right, though he couldn't find fault with some of her logic.

He hoped Abby truly needed help, not only because it would save him from the boredom of cold cases, but because she might have insight as to what was bugging Ziva. After all, the Mossad Officer left her knife in Abby's lab, so something must have happened to make her forget about it.

Of course, that brought to mind the last thing Abby told Tim about Ziva. _She's thinking of ending it.'_ He still wasn't sure what to do with that statement. He knew Ziva would do everything she could to honor her commitments, especially with the end of the plan less than two weeks away. She would not end it herself unless it became completely unbearable to her, which left things up to him.

"Hey," Abby called softly, seeing him standing in the doorway.

"What do you need?" he asked gruffly, not stepping inside the lab, still not sure he could trust that she actually needed the help. Sure, the lab looked busy, but Abby was usually good at prioritizing and multi-tasking when it came to evidence. "Are you having trouble with your computer and don't want to call Tech Support or do you want to interrogate me about my dating life?"

"Timmy,"

"Tim," he corrected, "I'm not five."

Abby frowned, "I always call you Timmy."

"No, you don't" Tim argued. "Sometimes you call me McGee, you have even called me 'Bad McGee," he pointed out, causing Abby to divert her eyes. "Regardless, I prefer Tim over Timmy."

"You've never said anything before," she argued.

Tim just looked at her before shaking his head, deciding not to respond to that statement.

"And what does _she_ call you?" Abby snapped, angry that he had just dismissed her.

He lifted an eyebrow. "By she, I assume you mean the woman I am seeing? And does it matter?"

"It does if it's Timmy," she retorted.

A single eye brow rose as if questioning her right to know, let alone decide if it matters, "It's not."

Abby shook her head, mostly in disbelief at her own actions. "I'm sorry, that's not why I called you down here. I mean, yeah, I did want to talk about Peggy, but well, let's just say I've had a change of heart."

Tim rolled his eyes, "Abby, my relationship with her is really not any of your concern or business," Tim pointed out, preparing to leave.

"I'm your best friend," she argued.

"You're a friend," Tim admitted, omitting the adjective. "Do you tell _all_ your _friends_ everything?"

"Not all," she admitted, "But the ones I'm closest to, I do. I would tell you," she added softly.

"Abby,"

"I heard something, that got me upset," Abby admitted, interrupting him. "I took it the wrong way, and I was mad, so when we talked yesterday, I said a lot of things I didn't really mean. I would like it if you told me about Peggy, you can even call her Peggy, and not her real name, unless you want to use her real name. I'm not trying to tell you what you can or can't call her. You don't have to reveal anything about her, again, unless you want to. You can say as much or as little as you want, and I promise that I will listen, as a real friend would. I was hurt before that you hadn't told me about her, that I found out from Tony that you were seeing someone. Even after that, you wouldn't say much about her. I know and understand that it is your decision, your right to decide who you do or do not confide in, but I hope you know that you can always talk to me," Abby rambled. "Regardless of if you talk to me or not, I think, no, I _know,_ I gave you bad advice yesterday. As I said, I was upset, too busy thinking about something else, thinking about myself. I want to be a good friend and make it up to you, help you work things out with Peggy. I hope you tell me about her, I _want_ to hear about her, but I will understand if you turn and walk away without speaking a word," she finally concluded, staring at Tim and waiting for him to respond.

He didn't know what she heard, what it could possibly be about, but he could her in her voice that she was sincere about wanting to know about Peggy. Tim closed his eyes, as he thought about this situation. Part of him was feeling guilty for not talking to Abby. If Peggy wasn't Ziva, if she was anyone else he would've talked to Abby about her. If the relationship was real from the start, he also would've confided in her, as he had in the past. He could understand a bit of her curiosity since Tim had tried to keep everything a secret from her.

"I like her," he admitted. " _Really_ like her."

"That's good," Abby encouraged.

"It would be if she felt the same way," Tim agreed, his voice portraying his doubt of that.

"Tony says she does."

Tim gave a snort of laughter as he thought of some of Tony's earlier ideas. "Tony also said that he thought I was still hung up on you and vice versa."

"What?" Abby cried in shock.

Tim shrugged, "That was one of his theories. That Peggy no longer exists, at least, not in my romantic life and I was using the situation to make you jealous. You probably don't want to know what he thought was the real reason why you thought she might not exist."

"Oh." Abby said, speechless at the thought. "Um, you know," she awkwardly began,

"That we wouldn't work? Yeah, I know," Tim agreed. "You were a good friend, and I admit, at one point, I did hope for more, then I realized that we were too different. I mean, it was good in some ways because you brought me out of my shell, challenged me to experience new things, but at heart, I am a quiet person, so to speak. I prefer nights at home or at quiet restaurants with one special person to loud scenes in a club with hundreds of people. I never would've been happy doing what you wanted to do all the time, and you never would've been happy doing what I want. There really wasn't a compromise, we were too different."

"I know," she admitted before grinning, "But we'll always have Paris."

Tim frowned as he looked at her, "We've never been to Paris."

She chuckles, "It's a joke, Timm-Tim. Famous movie line?'

"Oh, right," Tim replied awkwardly.

Abby grinned, "Never change, Tim, never change."

Tim just shrugged.

"So tell me more about her, do you think she's the one?"

"I wish she was."

Abby frowned, "Don't you mean you _hope_ she is?"

Another shrug.

"Tim?" Abby asked, staring at her friend. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Tim looked around the empty lab, "You can't repeat any of this to _anyone_ , okay?"

"Of course," Abby immediately agreed, mimicking zipping and locking her lips shut and throwing away the key, she also crossed an 'x' over her heart with her finger to indicate her promise that she wouldn't.

"I really like her, but I'm not sure if she likes me the same way," he began, repeating the same thought he shared earlier.

"Tim, you're a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"Then why hasn't one of them wanted me so far?"

"Because they weren't right for you," Abby pointed out, "Like we weren't right for each other. This one could be different."

Tim nodded, silently thinking about how he always thought that 'this one' could be different, yet she never was. "I want her to be," he admitted. "But I feel like I need to be realistic. She has everything, is incredible," he gushed, "The complete package as Tony would say. Beautiful, smart, talented, charming, athletic, skillful, cultured," he blushed when Abby cleared her throat, smirking at him. "Er, you get the point. She could have anyone, why would she want me? A geeky federal agent?"

"Tim, to the right one, you will be so much more than that," Abby informed him.

Tim gave her a soft, sad smile in thanks. "How can I keep from messing this up?"

Abby bit her lip before finally saying, "I don't know."

"Please, Abby," Tim begged. "You wanted me to talk about it, her. Now I'm asking for your help. I don't want to ruin this opportunity. I want to make sure she thinks of me as more than a geeky federal agent, to perhaps see a future with me. She's unlike anyone else I've ever known. Like you, she gets me out of my shell, makes me try new things, but she also enjoys the quiet time at home. Abby, she says she likes my apartment, that it feels cozy. Everyone else thinks it is too small, too cramped, and too geeky. She _likes_ it. Prefers spending time there instead of her own place. I just want her to like me as well."

"Tim, I'm sure she does, she's been dating you for a while."

Tim looked around, once more making sure no one was listening in. "And they have been great, but most of them have been more as friends than anything else."

Abby frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we see each other all the time. Have dinner together several times a week, usually take out that we bring back to my place, but none of them are planned in advance, it's usually decided on while talking on the way home from work," he smiled. "We actually seem to have a tradition to order from the same restaurant every Wednesday. It's close to my house and we started eating from there two days after we agreed to date. She is determined to order every combination on the menu."

"That is so sweet," Abby gushed.

Tim blushed, "Anyway, on weekends, if both of us are free, we usually have an official date."

"Have you slept together yet?"

Another blush, "Not in the way you mean."

"But in the literal sense?" Abby asked, before asking, "How close are you guys?"

"Very," Tim replied. "We've spent a lot of time together, have showered together, er, not _together_ ," he clarified, "But, well, not only have we shared a hotel room, but she's showered at my place, after working out or a long day at work, actually keeps stuff there."

"That's a good sign," Abby encouraged.

"Er, I count her as my closest friend," Tim admitted, hoping Abby wouldn't be too mad at that.

She gave him a sad smile, "That's the way it should be," she agreed. "Are you hers?"

A shrug, "I know our friendship has definitely deepened because of the two of us seeing each other. That's part of the problem," Tim tried to explain. "I don't want to mess this up. I don't want to lose her in any way."

"Honestly, it sounds like everything is going well. I," she hesitated a moment, not wanting to hurt his feelings, "Tim, I wasn't wrong yesterday when I said you often leap before you look. The fact that you haven't this time, could be a good thing. I don't mean because you don't care for her, but…well," she tried to explain her thoughts in another way, "They say the sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Obviously, you want different results this time, so you are doing things differently. I think that's a good thing."

"So, continue as we are, let her initiate more and set the tone of the relationship?" Tim asked, receiving a thoughtful nod from Abby.

"Okay," Tim hesitantly agreed. "I've been very careful not to press for more, to not ask or demand more, but it is so hard. I want to talk about our future, about next month, next year, but I'm afraid that I'll scare her off.

"Every time I am near her, what I want most is to kiss her and once I start, I don't want to stop." He pauses and runs a hand through his hair. "Tony says that I should just make my move, that she's given plenty of signs of wanting more. That I need to say or do something before she gives up."

"McGee," Abby said, turning to face him, hands on her hips. "Who are you going to trust? Me, another woman? Or Tony, who thinks that when a female says hi to him it means she wants to sleep with him?"

"But-"

"Tim, if she loves you, really loves you like you love her, she won't give you up without a fight. One thing you don't want to do is jump into something and not have a firm foundation on which to build a lasting relationship. It's been less than two months, you guys have plenty of time," she added.

Tim nodded absently. Time. Yes, the 'plan' might have a deadline of April 1st, but there is no reason why they cannot continue with this afterwards, he decided. Once the plan is done, then he can talk to her about his feelings, perhaps see if she was interested in pursuing a _real_ relationship with him.

"Was that all?" Tim asked.

"I…actually, no," she sheepishly admitted. "I really could use your help. You guys might be on cold cases, but every other team has active investigations. If I want to get out of here at a reasonable time, I really could use an extra set of hands."

Tim smiled at her, "Just tell me what you need me to do," he agreed, taking off his jacket and literally rolling up his sleeves to get to work.

Abby grinned at him before sharing what was going on.

* * *

"Ziva? Where are you going?" Tim asked as she passed the turn for his apartment on the way home from work.

"To pick up dinner. Kitchen sink," she added. "I called in an order earlier," she informed him, providing the specific order for him as well.

"It's Thursday," he stated, the change of schedule surprising him.

"I know. But we had the leftovers from Tuesday that we agreed to finish yesterday, so I figured today would be a good alternative day to order out. Besides," she added with a grin, "I made a schedule to try every combination of the kitchen sink. If I am going to make the deadline of April 1st, I cannot miss a week."

"Oh," Tim had known about her wanting to try all the combinations, every week they went, she never ordered the same thing twice, and often convinced him to try something different as well, but he hadn't known that she had set a deadline, especially not one that coordinated with the plan.

She frowned when he remained silent and looked at him, "Is that okay with you? If you had other plans…"

"No, no, plans," he said, not meeting her eyes.

"I can drop you off and head to my place, if you don't want company," she offered.

"No, no, it's fine. Jethro and I are good with company." he replied, as she pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and quickly headed inside to pick up and pay for the order.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at Tim's apartment, see to Jethro and begin eating.

"Next time I order ahead, I am going to give them my credit card to pay for it," Ziva stated as she placed another helping on her plate.

Tim rolled his eyes, used to her obsessing about the bill.

"I am serious," she stated. "There is no reason why I cannot pay."

"I know, but I also know that there is no reason why I can't pay either," he retorted.

Her eyes narrowed, "You know, one of these days, I _will_ finish my reports before you and you buying dinner will not be much of a prize if you always insist on paying for it."

"I don't insist," he argued. "It was just easier for me run in, grab the food and pay this time. And I don't always pay," Tim pointed out, "You have bought us dinner before."

She snorted, "Twice. Three times if you count the tacos that I made."

Tim just shrugged dismissively, he hadn't really kept track. "If you don't think it will mean much, then you'll have to think of another prize."

Ziva's eyes glimmered as she thought about some alternatives.

"Or if it means so much to you," Tim continued, not noticing the look in her eyes "Maybe if you finish your reports first, _you_ buy dinner that night."

"Maybe," Ziva replied, her mind caught on other possibilities.

"Was the case you were working on interesting?" She casually asked a few minutes later. He had disappeared from the bullpen for the rest of the afternoon, leaving her to deal with Tony by herself.

Tim shrugged, "Was actually helping with a few cases. Didn't really learn enough about any of them to determine how interesting they were."

Ziva nodded, slightly relieved that he hadn't been working with a specific team. "Were where you?" she curiously asked.

"In the lab with Abby."

She froze at hearing that. "Oh. A lot of work for the two of you then?"

"Yeah," he agreed, "It seems like every other team has an active case but us."

She nodded, after all, she had seen Abby's lab earlier that day.

"Was it Abby that called Gibbs?" she asked, receiving a nod in response. "Why did he pull you aside just to send you downstairs? Everything all right?"

Tim nodded, a smile briefly ghosting his face. "Yeah. He remembered what I told him about Abby calling me down in pretense, wanting to ask questions about my personal life, told me that if she was pulling that again, that I was to immediately leave the lab and return to the bullpen. Gave me a direct order to do so," he shared.

"Oh, that's good," Ziva replied, believing that with the lab so busy, Abby wouldn't have had a chance to talk to Tim about Peggy or anything else.

"Yeah," Tim happily repeated. "It was nice to get away from cold cases for a while," he admitted, grinning at her.

She snorted in agreement, "While I was stuck in the bullpen, not only on cold cases, but with Tony," she replied. "Hmm, given that fact, I deserve you treating me to dinner."

Tim just tipped his glass in her direction, he definitely got the better deal.

"Actually," she began upon reflection of a comparison of their days, "I think I deserve more than just dinner."

Tim looked at her curiously, "Like what? I'm okay with doing the clean up as well," he offered.

She frowned, "You know, it doesn't seem like much of a prize if you willingly offer to do it."

Tim shrugged, "Sorry," he replied, as he began clearing the table and cleaning up. Once that was done, he ushered her onto the couch, sitting on the opposite end after placing her glass on the table beside her. Automatically, she raised her legs up, as she usually did on his couch, her feet near his lap, her knees slightly bent as she reclined against the arm of the couch.

"Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?"

Ziva startled at his words, unsure of what he meant at first. What did he know? Did Abby tell him everything? She thought they were too busy to talk, but it wouldn't be the first time that the two carried on a conversation completely separate from the work they were performing.

"I don't know what happened," he admitted. "But I figured it had something to do with when you were in Abby's lab, after all, you left your knife there."

"No, not when I was in her lab," she honestly replied. "I did set my knife down on her desk and forget to retrieve it," she admitted, "But after leaving the lab, I ended up in autopsy. I figured I was away from my desk long enough and should return in case Gibbs was there."

"Oh," Tim took in this new information. He could understand Abby or Tony saying something that would upset Ziva, but Ducky? That was highly unusual. "So, do you feel like talking about it now?" Automatically, he reached out, lifting her feet into her lap and giving her feet a light massage.

"Actually, I am still processing it," she confessed.

Tim smiled, "I understand. It's hard to process things while at work with everyone around, especially when you are suppose to be working."

"You mean, when you have to keep an eye on Tony to make sure he isn't up to anything." Ziva corrected.

"That too," Tim grinned.

Ziva nodded. Of course, there was also a lot to think about. If she should say something, what to say to who, figuring out the impact and consequences it would have, not just on Tim, but the rest of the team as well. She did not want to mention it and be unprepared for any fallout.

"Okay well, whenever or if ever you want to talk," he offered.

"I know, thank you," she replied.

A few minutes later, catching a smile on his face, she asked, "What?"

"What what?" he asked, not sure what she was asking about.

"You are smiling," she replied. "Usually you are only like that if I get something wrong, but I haven't said anything recently."

"I...nothing."

"Tim," she prodded gently.

"I was just thinking that it seemed like we have undergone a role reversal."

"A what?"

"We changed positions," he rephrased his response.

She looked between the two of them, neither one had moved.

"Not physically, but in our attitudes," he clarified, identifying the confused look on her face.

"In regards to what?" she asked.

"Tony. Lately you've been getting annoyed or upset at Tony every time he says or does something. A new nickname, questions about Peggy, even when he hasn't done anything, but just sits at his desk looking at us, you've glared at him or said something."

"And you have not," Ziva commented, understanding what he meant and realizing the truth of his words.

"Not as much," he agreed. "Some still get to me, McBlarney from the other day," he admitted giving an example. "And I'm sure I would be mad if the superglue made a return appearance, but everything else..." his voice trailed off and he gave a shrug.

"Why is that?"

"Don't know why things have been bothering you so much," he shared, "But on my part, I've realized you were right."

Ziva just raised an eyebrow, not sure what he meant.

" _I_ don't have a reason to be embarrassed or insulted by what he says. I may not be NCIS's Agent of the Year, but I'm good at what I do and I'll only get better. I've learning to like who and what I am, Geeky Agent, Author, Elf Lord, Knight," he added the last softly. "Tony has no power over who I am. He doesn't have the right to try to change me into a version of him or anyone else. Sure, I have more to learn from him professionally, but there is no reason to let him, his words, or his actions affect me so much. I am who and what I am. If there is something _I_ don't like, I can change it, but I don't need to change for him or anyone else."

Ziva smiled, "Like you did with the weight loss."

"Exactly," Tim nodded emphatically. "I don't need Tony to show that he likes or cares about me in order for me to do my job to the best of my abilities, in fact, waiting for that, trying to obtain that is most likely hindering me. I won't deny that I would like him to show me more respect, but that could come in time, especially now that Gibbs is seeing things more clearly. I mean, I'm sure I will, and I still have, gotten upset at him, especially when I am already feeling anxious about something that Tony won't stop asking about, but yeah," he said, giving her a relaxed smile. "I really think I am good."

"I am glad," Ziva said, before pulling her feet away from his lap and moving to kneel next to him to place a kiss on his cheek before moving back to her original position. "I am very glad, and proud of you."

"Thanks," he said, embarrassed and pleased that she felt that way. "So, why have you been so short with Tony?"

She shrugged, "I am the same height I have always been," she commented.

"Zee."

She sighed, "It is part of what I am processing," she admitted. "Can you give me some more time to do that?"

"Of course," he replied, patting her leg and letting her pick a new subject of conversation.

* * *

"Timothy?" Ducky asked as he entered autopsy, surprised to see the young sitting on one of the tables. He hoped his talk with Ziva yesterday did not backfire on him. "What are you doing down here so early?"

"Just trying to figure something out," Tim replied. He originally headed down here to see if Ducky knew what had happened to cause such a reaction in Ziva yesterday, before realizing that even if the doctor did know, he wouldn't betray her confidence by telling him. Instead, Tim decided to take advantage of the quietness to do some more thinking about Ziva and what Abby had said.

"Anything I can assist you with?"

"Getting plenty of advice," Tim admitted.

"No doubt much of it is unsolicited and from people who do not truly know the complicated situation," Ducky murmured.

"Yeah," Tim agreed.

"Well, at the risk of joining them," Ducky cheerfully stated, "I have been thinking about Shakespeare lately, no doubt due to the unusual coincidences in that case we had. All I have to say is: 'This above all, to thine own self be true'."

Tim looked at him, unsure if he had anything else to add. When he remained silent, Tim spoke. "Hamlet?" Tim stated, wondering why the medical examiner was quoting the particular phrase from a tragedy to him.

"Indeed," Ducky nodded, once more pleased with the young agent's knowledge of the Bard. "The phrase has many connotations," Ducky explained before beginning a soliloquy that started with Shakespeare's original meaning of the phrase, to the multiple meanings to an Elizabethan audience, to common usage of the phrase in modern times. "What I am saying, Timothy," Ducky finally concluded, "Is that _you_ know you best. You must do what you feel in your heart is right for you."

Tim nodded automatically. Wasn't that part of the problem? That he doesn't know what was right or what was in his heart. Sometimes he feels like this is a tragedy, and he is just waiting for it to come to its inevitable conclusion. "I'm beginning to think we are more like Romeo and Juliet," he softly whispered.

Ducky sighed, at the young man's stubbornness. "Does she make you happy?" he asked, continuing before Tim could do more than open his mouth. "You are responsible for your own happiness. If you find something or," he pauses and gives Tim a pointed look, " _someone_ , that makes you happy, go after it, hold onto it, fight for it with everything you've got," he advised. "Don't wait for a sign, for the stars to all align, for her to initiate things, or for someone else to give their permission."

Tim nodded, remaining silent as he allowed the doctor's words process through his mind.

"Honestly, Timothy," an exasperated Ducky finally said when the silence lingered. "What will you regret more?" Ducky demanded to know. "Saying something and not having it work out, or not saying a word, having her walk away without ever knowing what could've happened?"

Tim stared at Ducky. The older man was often passionate once he got into his spiels, but never before had Tim seen or heard him so zealous. In fact, Tim does not recall anyone being so zealous about something regarding _his_ life, not even himself, Tim thought.

"Go, do something about this 'complicated' situation, for all our sakes," Ducky said, and for the first time, in a non-emergency situation, _pushed_ someone out the autopsy doors.

* * *

1-24-19

YIKES! posted it and realized that I left a scene out...sorry for deleting and reposting...

Did things just get more complicated?

What is Ziva thinking about?


	60. Friday, March 20, Tension (J60)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Tim walked back to the bullpen in a daze. If Ziva had a similar conversation with Ducky yesterday that he had with the ME today, he could understand why she reacted the way she had, he mused, and why she was still processing things. Of course, what that had to do with Tony, he wasn't sure.

"McGee," Gibbs called when Tim entered the bullpen, "Does Abby need your help in the lab again today?"

"I don't think so," Tim replied, trying to remember what was not done when he left the lab yesterday. "I believe we got through most of what she had yesterday. Unless they bring back more evidence, she should be good."

Gibbs nodded, "Okay, back to cold cases, then," he returned, before once more focusing on the case file in front of him.

Ziva smirked at Tim as she held out a stack of cold cases to him, wiggling them slightly.

"Thanks," Tim muttered sarcastically as he took them from her before heading to his desk and powering up his system. Once the system was up and running, he used it to contact Ziva.

 _'Looks like you might not be the only one to deserve dinner tonight,'_ he messaged Ziva.

' _I deserve dinner and more,'_ she messaged back, thinking of the conversations she's had these past two months with Tim, Gibbs, and Ducky.

 _'Hey, you got a foot massage.'_ He reminded her.

 _'Do you want a foot massage?'_

 _'Er, no,'_ he honestly replied. _'Besides, with both of us on cold cases, how will we determine who_ _ **really** deserves to be treated to dinner?'_

 _'The day has barely begun. I am sure Tony will say or do something that will warrant one of us deserving dinner.'_

 _Tim rolled his eyes, 'Especially if we spend the entire day on cold cases again.'_

"Hey! Enough with the love letters, get to work," Gibbs instructed, causing his agents to jump at the sound of his voice.

Tim and Ziva exchanged looks, wondering how he knew they were communicating with each other before closing the screen and getting back to work.

Sitting comfortably at his desk, Gibbs kept his head down and smirked at their reaction. He was pleased to see that his two youngest team members were getting along so well. He didn't know what had eased the tension between them, but whatever it was, he was grateful for.

However, he wasn't as happy to discover that they were taking time during work hours to send love notes to each other. As for how he knew, he shook his head, nobody typed that much while reviewing cold case files, especially so early in the morning.

Tony entered the bullpen at that moment, stopping to stare at his teammates. Something had happened, he didn't know what, but things were unnaturally quiet. He took another look around and couldn't stop the groan that escaped when he realized what his teammates were working on. "Cold cases again," he whined as he headed to his desk.

"Unless you know something I don't," Gibbs replied, not looking up.

Tim and Ziva looked up as Tony opened his mouth only to close it once more and shake his head. "Uh, no, I know nothing, boss."

Tim smirked and automatically resumed his conversation with Ziva, _'Truer words were never spoken,'_ he typed before catching sight of Gibbs pointedly looking at him.

"Cold cases, right," Tony said, echoing the words in Tim's head, as both men got to work.

* * *

One of the worse things about working on cold cases was that time seemed to drag by. In fact, if Tim didn't know it was scientifically impossible, he would swear that time was going backwards. He had only been at work for a few hours, yet it felt more like a week.

He meant what he had said to Ziva last night, about Tony not getting to him, but that didn't mean he enjoyed the older man's antics, especially when it involved paper airplanes almost poking his eye out or spitballs landing on his computer screen. He decided to take a much deserved break, making sure not to remain on the same floor so he could limit his risk of running into Abby or Ducky.

"Hey, Probie," Tony called, as Tim reentered the bullpen, a cup of coffee and a package of nutter butters in hand. "Any plans this weekend?"

Tim gave a silent groan as he looked around and noticed that Gibbs was absent. Seriously, what were the odds that he would return when Gibbs wasn't present to help rein Tony in.

"Haven't given it much thought," Tim admitted, "We're on call this weekend, remember?"

Tony snorted, "It's been quiet all week, what makes you think that the weekend is going to be any different?"

"First, because things never stay this quiet for long. And second, because it will be if I make specific plans," Tim offered, pessimistically, quickly adding, "Which would then have to be cancelled because of work."

"Oh!" Ziva chimed in, "I know that one, Murphy's Law," she shared triumphantly, her grin broadening after catch the look of surprise on Tony's face.

"I…yeah, I guess it could be," Tony admitted before turning back to Tim. "Of course, what is even worse is if Peggy found out you spent the whole weekend at home, playing computer games or walking your dog rather than be with her. So, again, I ask, do you have any plans?"

Tim frowned, "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"No reason," Tony grinned. "I just heard there was a convention in town, wondered if you and your girlfriend were going."

"Tony,"

"McGee," Tony interrupted, rolling his eyes, "Do not even attempt to tell me that she's not your girlfriend. _You_ might not call her your girlfriend, but the two of you have been seeing each other for almost two months now, right? And exclusively?" he asked, receiving a tentative nod from Tim. "Then whether you call her that or not, she _is_ your girlfriend. Now don't you think it's time to really let your geekiness show and take her to a convention?"

"Ton-"

"Now, I don't remember specifically if it was a comic book convention, a superhero convention, or a gaming convention," he admitted, giving a dismissive wave, "But when I heard of it, I immediately thought of you.

"And yes, I know we are on call, but hey, that could be a good thing," the SFA added.

"Ton-"

"Think about it, Probie, the two of you go to the convention, spend a little bit of time there, before she can think of an excuse to leave, the bat phone rings, giving the perfect excuse to cut the day short.

"Ton-"

"Hey, she already knows about Elf Lord, right? Maybe it's time for her to really meet him? You know," he added with a smirk, "In full costume. Of course, I do suggest that you make sure you have a change of clothing, just in case we get a call...or she leaves you stranded there without a ride home."

Smirking, Tony continued, "Of course, even if you only spend a half hour at the convention, you might not have to worry about calling her your girlfriend afterwards."

Tony watched the younger man, waiting for him to say something. Ziva also watched, glaring at Tony, before moving her concerned gaze to the silent Tim.

Tim simply looked at Tony before returning to work, not saying a word. After all, why should he bother, every time he tried, Tony just interrupted him. Besides, he reminded himself, Tony's thoughts and opinions didn't matter to him.

Tony frowned, "Look, Mc-"

"Don't worry about it," Tim interrupted, not wanting to know what nickname was going to be used. Yes, Tony no longer had the same power over him, but that didn't mean he was going to subject himself to insults from the older man.

"No," Tony replied firmly, as he stood up and approached Tim's desk.

Tim looked up in surprise, did Tony finally realize that he had crossed a line?

"I get that you really like this girl and yes, she might have known you for years, but that was as a friend, not as a potential life partner."

"Tony,"

"All I'm saying is that you need to be _you,_ warts and all, before the two of you can be a 'we' or an 'us'. From what I've seen and you've said, you have bent over backwards to make her happy. From dinner at restaurants owned by celebrity chefs to a weekend getaway at an amusement park that she suggested, and who knows what else you might have don," an exasperated Tony added. "The only thing I know that you asked of her is to take you grocery shopping when you were without a car. A relationship goes both ways, McCompliant; it can't be you doing all the giving and her doing all the taking, that won't work." He finished, returning to his desk.

As he talked, Ziva's look changed from glaring to solicitous.

* * *

Gibbs looked at his team, then his watch, then his team once more. It wasn't even noon yet but tempers were running high and the tension was practically visible. He wasn't sure what happened when he stepped away from his desk, but he knew something had, and he was pretty sure that it was instigated by Tony and aimed at McGee.

DiNozzo would often cast glances at McGee's desk, whether Tim was present or not. For the most part, those glances seemed to run the gamut of emotions. Ziva would alternate between glaring at Tony and becoming introspective. Tim kept on sneaking peeks at Ziva, surprisingly uncaught by Tony. He also he made sure not to look in Tony's direction.

An active investigation would have given all of them something to focus on, as well as less opportunity to get into mischief. The only positive thing he could say about not having a case today is that it decreased the chances of one of his team talking to Abby. With Tony no doubt poking into Tim's personal life, and what else could get Ziva so worked up, the last thing he needed was Tony and Abby tag-teaming the younger man.

He glanced at his team once more. His gut said that something was coming. He didn't know if it was work related or something to do with his team, but he did know, that if the tension and boredom of his team didn't end soon, someone or something would soon break.

"Hey," he called, causing all eyes to be fixed on him. "We are on call this weekend," as one the team nodded in acknowledgment. "I suspect it's going to be a busy one,"

"Your gut?" Tony asked.

"No, his crystal ball," Ziva snapped.

"Hey! I was jus-"

Gibbs put an end to their exchange with a whistle. Yeah, he was definitely making the right choice here.

"Go for lunch…a _long_ lunch," he pointedly added. "Stay within a half-hour drive of the yard, and be back here by 1700 unless I call you back before that," he concluded, then picked up his coffee cup and exited the bullpen.

The team exchanged glances.

"Did that really just happen?" Tim asked.

"Yep," Tony replied, standing up and simultaneously shutting down his computer. "And I am outta here before he changes his mind," he continued, grabbing his bag.

"What are you going to do?" Tim asked.

He shrugged, "Don't know, but I won't be here," he returned with a grin. "Probably grab some food first, then figure something out."

"There is always the movies," Ziva suggested facetiously.

"Oohh, I haven't been to a matinee in a long time," Tony acknowledged. "You guys want to join me?"

"Not me," Zia shook her head, "I would prefer not to be sitting down for the next few hours."

Tony wiggled his eyebrows, "Going to call guy in tights for a romantic rendezvous?"

Ziva rolled her eyes, "He was scheduled to work today."

Tony turned to Tim, "Same with Peggy?"

Tim just shrugged in reply.

"Well, have fun whatever you do," Tony said as he headed to the elevator. "As I said, I'm going before he calls us back."

Tim and Ziva watched as their teammate disappear.

"Do you want to join me for lunch?" Tim asked. "I'll let you buy."

"Would it not then be you joining me?"

Tim shrugged, for once not caring about semantics.

"But, yes," Ziva answered, "I would. Where shall we go?"

Tim responded as he shut down his computer and grabbed his go bad. "Anywhere is fine with me, you're paying," he reminded her with a grin. "I guess it depends on what we want to do afterwards."

"I really do not care," she admitted. "I am just looking forward to being away from the orange wall, my desk, and Tony."

"So, no movie?"

"Definitely not," she confirmed. "And you should hope that Gibbs does not need to call us in anytime soon."

Tim frowned, "Why not?"

She looked at him as they headed towards the elevator, "Can you imagine Tony's reaction if he was forced to leave a movie he had never seen before it ended? He would be unbearable to work with for the rest of the day."

"Yeah, good point," Tim agreed with a grimace. "So, any ideas?"

She shook her head, "What about you?"

"I…how do you feel about museums?" he asked. "The Smithsonian is close. We can head that way, grab a bite to eat. If we get called back, we could always return some other day if we wanted too, plus, we won't lose any money since the museums are free."

Ziva nodded, "Sounds like a good idea to me."

* * *

1-25-19

So, curious about something...Do you guys think Ducky _knows_? And if he does, will he say something? And to who?


	61. Friday Mar 20, Taking a Break (J61)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

It was great to get away from the office for the afternoon. Unfortunately, unlike the morning, the afternoon flew by. Before they knew it, Tim and Ziva were leaving the museum and heading back to the Navy Yard.

As the entered the bullpen, they were surprised to find Tony already at his desk. They weren't as surprised to see him leaning back in his chair, his feet resting on said desk and a giant bucket of popcorn on his lap.

"Took in a matinee?" Tim asked as he walked past the SFA and headed to his desk.

"Yep," Tony replied, popping the 'p'. "Was able to get a refill on the extra large popcorn and soda," he informed his teammates. "Want some?" he asked, as he held out the tub.

"No, thank you," Ziva replied, while Tim just shook his head.

"So, Probie, what did you do?"

"Museum," he replied.

"Predictable," Tony muttered.

Tim snorted, " _I'm_ predictable?" he asked incredulously. "You went to the _movies_."

"Ah, but _I_ didn't suggest it," he pointed out, "Ziva did. And at least the movies are fun and entertaining. You walked around all afternoon staring at old things, most of them probably pictures."

Ziva frowned and tilted her head, "Is not another name for movie motion _picture_? So could we not we say that you also spent the afternoon staring at a picture?"

"Well, m _ine_ had sound…and a storyline, and sometimes music."

"You might not find museums fun and entertaining, but I do," Tim injected with a shrug. "I enjoyed how I spent my afternoon," he added unapologetically.

Tony snorted, "Good thing," Tony muttered. "It'll probably be how you spend your life, alone, partaking in pursuits that interest no one but you."

"Who said I was alone?" Tim asked as he powered up his computer.

Tony's head jerked around to stare at him, his expression humorous. "Probie, one can still be alone in a crowd," he commented condescendingly. When Tim didn't comment, his expression changed to one of surprise. "Did the incomparable Peggy join you?"

"I did," Ziva answered firmly before Tim could respond. "Incomparable?" she questioned a second later.

"Without equal," Tim supplied, his eyes briefly meeting Ziva's.

Ziva turned to the older man, "I thought you haven't met her? Why would you describe her that way?"

"Because of how he talks about her," Tony commented with a dismissive shrug. Realizing what Ziva admitted to, he turned to her, "You spent the afternoon with Probie? You know, you could've contacted me. I would've waited for you."

She shrugged, "As I said earlier, I did not want to spend the afternoon sitting in one spot. If I had, I would've stayed here at my desk. And it was fun," she added.

"I'm sure it was," Tony stated with a roll of his eyes, "What museum did you guys go to?"

"Tim suggested The Smithsonian."

Tony nodded not really surprised, before his expression changed to one of mock horror, "Oh, Probie, please tell me that you didn't force Ziva to spend the afternoon at the air and space museum."

"It's a nice display," Tim argued, not willing to confirm or deny what museum they visited.

Tony just shook his head, "Could you be any geekier?"

With a roll of his eyes, Tim turned towards his computer, deciding to check email while they waited for Gibbs. He could feel Tony's eyes staring at him. Silently, Tim kept track of the time, wondering how long it would be before Tony broke the silence.

"I think I realized why Gibbs has rule 12," he said.

Tim checked the time, 49 seconds.

Ziva looked at Tony curiously, wondering why he decided to bring up rule 12, "Why?"

"It's a matter of trust," Tony explained, before talking about the movie he saw regarding two former agents, involved with one another, a scam and an undercover op, and if the op would ruin their relationship or the relationship would ruin the op.

With another roll of his eyes, Tim tuned him out, focusing instead on his email inbox.

"Hey, Probie," Tony repeated, throwing a piece of popcorn at Tim. He had just spent the past half hour talking, in great detail, about his afternoon "I'm talking to you."

"What do you need, Tony?"

"Nothing. Just wondered if you talked to Peggy about the convention yet."

"No," Tim replied as he shook his head.

"Yeah," Tony nodded knowingly, "Probably not best to call her when you're out with another girl," he teased.

Tim just rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, McConsiderate, you really should give some thought to going to the convention. If she really loved you," Tony informed the team, "She would think of things you would like to do. Remember a relationship can't be one-sided."

"Nice to know you can be on time, DiNozzo," Gibbs smirked as he entered the bullpen, pointedly taking a glance at his watch. The team had a few more minutes left of their unexpected leave.

"I'll have you know, that I was the first one back," Tony commented. Tim and Ziva just shrugged, after all, it was true, so there was no use denying it.

"By two whole minutes," Gibbs commented, causing Tony's jaw to drop in shock at the revelation of that information. The man really did seem to know everything, Tony realized, wondering how he missed Gibbs watching them.

Gibbs just continued to his desk, smirking. Inwardly, he sighed. He had really hoped the afternoon break would help his team relax, perhaps let off some steam, but the tension seemed to be making a comeback. Hopefully his gut was wrong and the team wouldn't be called this weekend.

A half hour later, he dismissed them, reminding them to keep their phones on and to remain relatively close.

* * *

Tim cast a glance towards Ziva as the vehicle left the yard before once more focusing on the road in front of him. The afternoon had been great, he didn't know if it was because it was spontaneous and he didn't have time to over think how it might go; because there was so much to do and see that he was too busy to worry about things; or because he knew that technically they were on the clock, could be called back at any moment and that it was not a good time to have a conversation about their relationship; it could also be a combination of the three, but what he did know was that there didn't seem to be any tension or awkwardness between the two of them then. Now, however, the air seemed thick with it, with words left unsaid hanging between them.

Tim knew he should say something. Abby suggested that he let things be, but both Tony and Ducky suggested he do something. While he might not trust Tony, he did trust Ducky not to steer him wrong. Then again, there were only ten days left in the month, ten days left in the plan, perhaps it would be better to wait. Besides, if he waited, maybe Ziva would say something about what _she_ was thinking and feeling.

"Hey," he called softly, interrupting Ziva's internal musing. "I know that we are on call, and we just spent all afternoon together, but do you want to try to plan something for this weekend?"

"I've been thinking about that," Ziva admitted softly, still staring out the window.

Tim momentarily paused at her words, Abby's voice repeating, ' she's thinking it might be best to end it' echoing in his head. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Are you okay? We don't have to go out if you don't want to. I mean, I know we've spent a lot of time together, and I don't just mean this afternoon, but the past month and a half. I mean, between running in the morning, carpool, work, and our dates. We've even had some overnight trips with work, as well as our trip away. I understand if it's been too much." He stated, before taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. "If you need time away from me, time to yourself, I understand."

"Pull over," Ziva ordered.

"What?" Tim asked in shock.

"Pull over," she repeated, refusing to say anything else until he did as ordered.

Casting a glance at her, Tim could tell that she was not in the mood for questions. He looked for a suitable place, and after pulling into an empty parking lot, Tim put the car in park and turned off the engine, "Why?"

"I refuse to have this conversation in a car while one of us is driving," she explained, releasing her seatbelt so she could face him, Timothy copying her movements.

"What conversation?"

She just stared at him for a moment. "This, us, you," she finally said, taking a deep breath before slowly releasing it "What you just said," she began again. "You are doing it again, assuming the worst. I say that I was thinking about plans for this weekend and you immediately jump to the conclusion that I don't want to spend time with you. I can understand why you do that with your father, the history between the two of you has conditioned you to act that way. I can even understand why you might be that way with Tony, he often speaks without thinking. He does not monitor his words and I believe he is harsher than he intends. His words come out as insulting when perhaps he does not mean it that way," Ziva explained. "But this is _me_."

"Be honest with me, Timothy, please," she begged, "Tell me what you are thinking?"

Tim was silent for a few moments as he thought about things. "Bottom line, I'm afraid and nervous. Things between us have changed so much, so fast," he shared. "Three months ago, you probably would have joined Tony in his teasing that I spent the afternoon at a museum, rather than join me at the museum. Things are different _now_ , but my mind can't forget how they were, nor why they changed. How you are now, how we are," he stopped to regroup his thoughts. "I love what we have now, but I know it's not real. I know it's not going to last, can't expect it to last, regardless of what I would like; things just don't work out like that for me. When someone, _you_ ," he corrected, "say something, I take it as reinforcement of what I think, and well," Tim pauses, "I actually try to make things easier by letting you know that I understand what you mean, that I expect it, so you don't have to be uncomfortable or worried talking about it."

Ziva thought about what he said, their many talks helped her to understand why he expected the worst and why he tried to brace himself for it. "As endearing as I find your blushing and tendency to be so easily embarrassed," she said, smiling fondly as he reddened as if on cue, "This habit of yours is the opposite. It frustrates and infuriates me. I can understand _why_ it happens, but for it to happen so frequently," she shrugged. "I just do not understand why you cannot see how important you are to people? To the team? To me?" she asked. "I cannot imagine my life without you. You have been a part of it for several years, and deeply entwined these last several weeks. I do not want to imagine you not being there. "It bothers me when you talk about transfers and cyber crimes. I cannot tell if you are serious," she admitted. "I can understand you mentioning it if you were unhappy at work or when you are frustrated, but that is not always the case. Sometimes when you say it you act like you are joking, but it has been mentioned too many times for it to be just that. You even revealed that it came up in your most recent conversation with Gibbs. I did not want to pester you for more information, but…" she trailed off, shaking her head as she realized she is confusing the issues between them.

"I asked you to be honest," she stated, "Perhaps it is time for me to do so as well," she paused as she thought about her words. "I know this, us, started off as a pretend relationship, but it is the best, happiest, and most real relationship I have ever had. I do not know if it will last, but I know that it definitely will not if you do not expect it to," she stated. "And in the spirit of honesty, I have to admit that much of this is my own fault," she confessed. "You were right, in the past, I have been too much like Tony, joining in with him, believing it was just harmless fun, not thinking about how it would effect you. But, as you say, things are different now, and not just because we are trying to prank Tony. We are better friends now than we were before. Before we were friendly coworkers, now," she shrugged, not exactly sure how to describe them, "Now we are so much more, could possibly become even more to each other. I would hope that you noticed that in the last few weeks, that I have kept your confidences, have apologized for my past behavior, and have not joined Tony in any of his pranks against you. You seem to expect the worse, not just from them, but from me," she pauses for a moment. "It is as if you do not believe me; like you do not believe _in_ me."

"Ziva,"

"Let me continue," she interrupted before he could say more. "Answer yes or no to the following questions, please. Do you think that I am an honest person?"

"Yes," he replied immediately.

Ziva continued rattling off a long list of questions, including: Do you think I can make mistakes? Do you think I would intentionally hurt you? Do you think I know my own mind? Do you think I will share my opinions with you? Will tell you when I'm mad at you? If I disagree with you? If I want or had something different than what you had in mind?

Timothy answered every question honestly, only the one about intentionally hurting him was answered negatively, the rest with a confident 'Yes'.

"Then why do you look for hidden meanings in my words as if I am too afraid or ashamed to say what I mean? I know not many people have been completely honest with you in the past, but from the start, we promised each other that we would be. That has not changed. I am asking you to believe in _me_ , for the sake of _us_ , nothing can happen if we do not have trust between us," she finished, not sounding like her normal confident self, but rather a tad tentative and scared of his response.

"Oh, Zee," Tim said, shocking Ziva when he opened the car door and exited.

She sat in the passenger side of his car, unsure how to proceed. Should she go after him and make him talk? Wait for him to gather his thoughts and hope he wasn't overthinking things again?

It was only moments later that she was brought out of her thoughts when her car door opened and Tim leaned down and gathered her in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he mumbled into her hair. "I _will_ trust in you, believe in you." he vowed, "I _do_ ," he corrected, moving his hands to her shoulders and leaning back so he could meet her gaze.

"There you go with the marriage vows again," she teased, giving him a smile to let him know that she believed him, trusted him.

Tim smiled back softly, moving his left hand up her neck, to cup her cheek, "You know, the vows are usually followed by a kiss," he stated, searching her face before slowly lowering his lips to hers.

Eventually the two broke apart, staring at each other for a few moments.

"What happens now?" Tim asked, staring at Ziva.

Ziva pulled him in for another kiss before saying, "You get back in the car before we both freeze," she said, pointedly looking at the open door. Tim grinned at her before following her directions.

"And now?" he asked.

"You start the car and drive," she replied. "We can talk more at your place." Again, Tim obeyed orders and they soon found themselves at his apartment.

"What were you thinking for this weekend?" he asked, hoping to get their conversation on a safe topic.

"That I would like to plan it," she explained. "I know that we are on call this weekend, and that we might get interrupted, but," she paused, "Tony had a point."

"Zee, you can't listen to Tony," Tim protested.

She smiled, "I know, but, he was right. You have done a lot to show me how much you care, how much you listen to what I say, that what interests me matters to you, and you have shown me that _I_ matter to you. I would like the opportunity to do the same."

He nodded, "So what are you planning?" he asked, before another thought came to him. "Um, you didn't look into that convention he mentioned did you?"

"It is a surprise," she replied, grinning at him. "And no, it is not a convention."

Tim was relieved that it wasn't a convention. Knowing Tony, who knows what it could be about. He did groan about it being a surprise though, no doubt he deserved that after his comments about their ballet and Valentine's dates. "And I am sure it will be great."

"As long as the weather holds, it will be," Ziva agreed, causing Tim to worry slightly about what she meant. "There is something else we need to discuss," she began.

Tim nodded, suspecting what she meant.

"Perhaps we should take some time before we talk about us," Tim hesitantly agreed. "Nothing needs to be said or done right now. I think we should have our date this weekend, hope we don't get called in," he added with a smirk, "And enjoy the time together, focusing on us and how we want our relationship to be."

It might not be the declaration of love she wanted to say or hear, but she hadn't really expected it to be, at least not this soon. They had 'fallen' into this relationship, wanting to prank their coworker, she understood wanting to be sure about things before sharing those feelings. It also made sense for the focus to be on them, the relationship, if they were going to take things further. "We forget about Tony and why we started this. Take a break from the plan but not a break from us."

"Exactly," Tim replied. "In a few days, we can talk again, decide if anything needs to change, where we go from there. We don't have to adhere to a specific schedule or meet a deadline. We can take our time to figure this out."

"Okay," Ziva agreed, before making plans to pick him up tomorrow morning around 1000, cautioning him to dress warmly.

* * *

1-28-19

Hope I didn't make you wait too long...


	62. Sat 3-21 Love death all that Jazz I(J62)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"You should place your work gear in my car to bring with us in case we get a call," Ziva suggested a few minutes after greeting him and Jethro at his apartment.

"Already got it ready to go," Tim replied, nodding his head to the bag by the door.

She nodded, "Jethro all set? Does he need to go out once more?"

He shook his head. "Nope, we went out this morning with the new dog walker. She'll be coming by in a couple of hours to take him out again. Since I'm not sure where we are going or when we'll be back, I told her I would text her if I was going to be late tonight and needed her help with Jethro."

"You have a new dog walker?" she asked, continuing before he could respond. "Wait, we can discuss that later, we need to get going if we want to be there when it starts."

"When what starts?" Tim asked, hoping Ziva would answer.

Ziva just smirked at him, ignoring his question, "Do you have everything?"

Tim raised an eyebrow at her, "All I have is the clothes on my back, my coat, and my work bag. Do I need anything else?"

"I hope not," she grinned. "Looks like we are ready," she stated, ready to grab his bag as they headed out the door.

"Ziva," he warned.

She rolled her eyes and handed him the bag. "Fine, you can carry it out, but I will put it in the car. I do not want you to see what is in there."

"Uh-huh," he muttered, very curious about what could be in the trunk. "You don't have a dead body in there that you expect me to help you get rid of do you? Perhaps we are heading to Rock Creek Park to dump it?"

She snickered before saying, "If it was a dead body, I would have called Abby to make sure I did not leave any forensic evidence." Upon reaching her car, she unlocked the front and held her hand out for his bag, adding it to the trunk once he was securely seated inside.

"You know, I am going to find out where we're going and what we are doing eventually, you might as well just tell me," Tim said as she got on the highway, his mind adding and dismissing options based on their route.

She looked at him in disbelief, "Like you told me about the ballet? You ushered me inside the theater and to our seats before telling me."

"Just through the doors and to the ticket window. We needed those before we could get to our seats," he corrected, causing Ziva to roll her eyes at him.

"Just be glad I did not blind fold you," she teasingly replied. "I thought about it, since I am sure you are analyzing the data and trying to determine our destination with every turn I take or pass," she continued, grinning when Tim blushed and sheepishly looked away. "However, I did not want this, our first _real_ date to be ruined because we were pulled over and questioned by cops."

"So, I'll be blind folded for the next date?" he teased before realizing what he said.

"If you like," she returned, shooting him a grin. "We can definitely discuss it."

Figuring it was best to keep his mouth shut after that, Tim continued to watch the scenery as Ziva drove. It was only when she got off the highway that he spoke again. "Um, Ziva," he hesitatingly began as the route became very familiar. "Please tell me I wasn't right about a body in the trunk and Rock Creek Park."

"You were not correct about the body in the trunk," she confirmed. "I told you, if I had a body, Abby would be my companion."

"Uh-huh…and Rock Creek Park?"

Ziva remained silent, causing Tim to take out his phone and quickly look at something.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Contacting Abby to make sure she isn't meeting you here, in case I'm the body," he told her, smiling to let her know he wasn't serious as he put his phone away, still smiling.

"Sisters before Misters," she replied, repeating something Abby had said to her a few weeks ago. "She knows that if I planned to kill you or someone else, it was with good reason and would not share my plans with anyone, even you." She teased in return, before speaking again. "Are you googling events at the park?"

"Didn't need to," he replied, "I just had to check the calendar."

"Why?"

"To confirm that today is the third Saturday in March," he said, beaming at her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Every year in March on the weekend of the third Saturday, Rock Creek Park hosts a jazz festival."

"You have been before?" she asked, not sure if that was good news. After all, she has never heard him talk about attending the event or even knowing about it.

"Yes, whenever I can and, as you say, the weather cooperates. I do enjoy it, and I'm sure this year will be even better with a lovely Elf Lady to share it with. I actually forgot about it this year," he admitted. "So, again, thank you."

She smiled at him, "You are most welcome, My Knightly Elf Lord," she replied as they pulled into the parking lot. "And now that we are here and you know, you can help carry everything from the trunk."

"And what did you bring?"

Her list included a plastic tarp, blankets, and cushions to sit on, additional blankets to wrap around them to keep warm, a couple thermoses of coffee and tea, and a picnic lunch.

"Sounds like you thought of everything," Tim replied, as they exited the car and headed to the trunk. "Thank you, again," he repeated, before embracing her in the parking lot and kissing her. "You know," he added, "Sharing body heat is another way to keep warm."

"I planned on it." She grinned back, "And if we were not on call, I would have suggested that we bring Jethro as well."

"And have me compete for your attention and affections?" he teased. "Nope, not gonna happen. He is perfectly fine with his new dog sitter," he answered, beginning the conversation Ziva had put on hold earlier that morning.

"What can you tell me about this dog sitter?" She asked as they started to unload the trunk.

He shrugged, "Lives in the building, works from home. She's, well, I don't know if I would call her a single mom. She's divorced, but it seems like her ex is pretty involved with the kids. She was looking for ways to supplement her income, but still stay at or near home. Plus she says this way the kids have some exposure to a pet and she could use Jethro to teach them about responsibility."

Ziva nodded, "Did you do a background check on her?"

"Nothing too evasive," Tim admitted, as they began walking towards the Festival. "But since I was going to give her a key to my apartment, I wanted to make sure she didn't have any prior arrests, outstanding warrants, large debts, things like that," he explained. "And she's good."

"And her ex?"

"Just ran his information, didn't feel right doing more than that since he wasn't the one I was hiring."

Ziva nodded, not surprised that Tim would feel that way. She found a spot near a tree where they could spread out the blanket and looked towards Tim, raising an eyebrow in question. Tim nodded in agreement and the two set to work preparing their space.

"And does she have experience in caring for a dog?"

"She's raising a couple of kids," Tim responded dryly, "I think Jethro would be a piece of cake compared to that."

"As long as she knows not to give him cake."

Tim shook his head in amusement at her reaction. "I really do think you love Jethro more than you love me," he teased, before freezing at his words and covertly looking at her to gauge her reaction.

"Tim, it is okay," she said. "You do not have to become worried every time you make a teasing comment about us, our relationship, love, or sex."

Tim just nodded in response.

"Truly, you don't," she reassured him. "I am glad that you are feeling comfortable around me to do so, and," she added, stretching out the word, "They are quite humorous to hear. I have always suspected that you had a quick wit to go with that quick mind of yours. I am glad that I am able to enjoy it."

Tim nodded, deciding to trust that her words. "Okay, then," he stated. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

"Relax," she replied, patting the space on the blanket next to her. Tim nodded and sat down.

"How did you find this new dog walker?" Ziva asked, hoping that Tim would feel at ease once they started talking again.

"She had actually developed a friendship with my old dog walker. It seemed that Jethro's walks and her breaks often coincided and the two would regularly see each other in the lobby or elevator. Last week Chris told her that she was moving and that she wouldn't be around anymore. Sandy, the new dog walker, not only asked for her information to keep in contact with her, but asked what I was going to do. Chris mentioned it to me, then told Sandy that I was going to look for a new dog walker. After that," Tim shrugged, sure that Ziva didn't want to hear all the boring details that took place after that.

"You will have to introduce me to her sometime."

"Sure," Tim readily agreed, his gaze distracted by movement on the stage. 'Oh, it looks like the first group is getting ready to go on."

Ziva nodded, she too had noticed them climbing onto the stage. Looking around, she commented, "It is not that crowded."

He shrugged, "I've seen it emptier," he admitted. "One year, it was freezing cold out here, even with the some shining. Everyone was so bundled up, that you could barely hear the music. I have to admit," Tim confessed, "As much as I have enjoyed this festival the past few years, I have wondered who picked _March_ as the time to hold an outdoor music festival in DC. Though technically, today is the first full day of spring."

Ziva nodded, "Yes, I was quite surprised when I heard about this festival. I did more research, partly because I was not sure if it was legitimate, but apparently they have been doing this for almost ten years."

Tim nodded, "The only time they cancelled that I know of is four years ago," Tim replied. "We had that big ice storm, power was out practically everywhere, including this area. I have been to this event while it was snowing," he admitted. "It was a little cold, but also kind of magical. The music, the lights, softly falling snow," he smiled as he reminisced.

"Sounds beautiful…and romantic," Ziva commented wistfully.

Tim turned and reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips and softly placed a kiss on the back of it before releasing it, "It was. Of course, anything can be romantic with the right person," he replied, repeating the words she said last month regarding the circus.

"Yes, it can," she confirmed, as she moved closer to him, snuggling into his side as the music started.

* * *

"You know, I have camp chairs I could have brought, they would probably be more comfortable than sitting on the ground. If we come back tomorrow, I can bring them."

"We are on cushions, not the ground," Ziva reminded him. "And this is fine."

"Tell that to my legs and butt when we get up," Tim commented dryly.

She laughed before asking, "Do those chairs happen to be built for two?"

Tim frowned as he thought about her question, "I don't think they make them that way," he admitted a few minutes later, "Why?"

"We would probably not be able to sit like this in those chairs," she explained. Tim was currently leaning against the cooler, Ziva sat in the 'V' of his legs, leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around her.

"Good point," he replied. "I'll throw those chairs out when I get home."

The two shared a laugh at his extreme reaction, Tim's arms tightening around her for a minute. "How did you hear about the festival anyway?" he asked.

She shrugged, "I searched the web for things Timothy McGee likes."

"I'm guessing that you were the first thing listed?" he teased, trying to keep his expression serious.

She frowned, "Actually, if I remember correctly, I believe the first thing that came up was Nutter Butters," she retorted.

"I can see that," Tim nodded, "We do go back many years," he grinned at her. "Seriously, though, how?"

Another shrug, "Just looked at various sites about what was going on in or around DC this weekend. I actually found quite a few conventions, most of them I am not even sure what they are," she admitted.

"Like what?" he curiously asked.

"Bronycon, Anthrocon," she replied, a puzzled frown on her face as she shared that information. "Most of the others, I had heard of before," she admitted, "But there was also a fish carving convention, a clown convention, a mermaid convention and one called Fetish Con."

Tim snorted, "How much do you want to bet that the last one is the convention Tony had in mind?"

"For you or for himself?"

"I really don't want to know or even think about any fetishes he might have," Tim replied with a grimace.

"You are the one who mentioned him."

"You're right, I apologize," he said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss in apology.

"Anyway, this festival was mentioned and I searched for more information on it. I was not sure if you knew about it because I have never heard you mentioned it. As you said, it is an annual event. It sounded like something you would enjoy, that both of us could enjoy together," she added. "I actually thought about staying over in a hotel, to really make a weekend out of it, but with us on call," she shrugged, "I did not want us to worry about needing to check out of a room if we were called out."

"That makes sense and we live close enough that there is really no reason to stay over."

"No," she admitted, "But a dip in a heated pool would have been nice."

"Yeah, it would have," he immediately agreed, as the two once more fell into silence, relaxing as they listened to the music.

* * *

"What are those tents for?" Ziva asked, since they arrived she had been curious about the giant tents set up around the perimeter of the venue. "People are not camping here tonight, are they?"

"No," Tim informed her. "Most of the performers will have a tent so you can stop by and learn more about them, others might be local craftsman, selling and displaying their goods, but most of them are probably food related."

"Oh. If I had known, I would not have packed a picnic lunch."

"I am sure anything you brought would taste much better than what is there," he replied. "Besides, I am too comfortable to move," he stated, leaning down to give her another kiss.

After returning his kiss, she snorted, "Yet you wanted to bring chairs."

He shrugged, "For once I didn't think things through, sue me."

"Hmm," she contemplated that idea. "If I sue, I might be able to take custody of Jethro and the Porsche."

He raised an eyebrow, "You really think you have a good enough case to take my car and dog?"

"Maybe not," she admitted, "But if we settle out of court, I might be able to negotiate visitation with Jethro and driving rights for the Porsche."

"You know, you can visit Jethro any time, I gave you a key," he reminded her.

"Yes, but to your apartment, not to your car."

He shrugged, "If you really want to drive her that badly, just let me know."

"I really want to drive her," she responded immediately.

Leaning over to kiss her again, he promised, "We'll work something out."

* * *

By mid afternoon, both Ziva and Tim were ready to stretch their legs, and Ziva wanted to check out the tents. They quickly packed up their valuables, leaving the mostly empty cooler and the cushion and blankets by their tree and started for the tents, hand in hand.

Many of the tents were performers involved with the show, selling CD's and T-shirt, and providing information regarding fan newsletters and other shows. While neither felt the need for a t-shirt, both of them did purchase a CD from one of the performers they saw earlier that day. Tim also signed up for a couple of newsletters, wanting to know when one of them might be performing at a local venue. Plus, he teased Ziva, this way he would get a reminder about next year's festival.

As Tim had mentioned, some of the tents were for local artisans. There were painters, jewelers, carvers, and quilters. Talking with them, Tim and Ziva learned that they had to apply to set up a tent on the grounds today, and that due to limited space, not every application was accepted. The committee tries to offer a variety of crafts, often limiting it to four of one specific trade. The woman they talked to, one of several jewelers, mentioned that she applies the day they start accepting applications, which, for this festival is six months before hand, and all the vendor spaces booked before the new year begins. Tim and Ziva were shocked at that, they had never suspected that competition to be a vendor at festivals would be so fierce.

Finally, their nose and stomachs led them to the tents that sold food and drinks. Deciding that a hot snack would warm them up, Tim bought some white chicken chili, while Ziva decided to try the chicken pot pie.

They continued walking around, Tim's arm around Ziva's as they observed the people and activities around them. There were a lot of couples at the festival, most of them either walking around like them or cuddling together and enjoying the music. Tim especially enjoyed watching a few of the older couples, sitting on chairs or park benches. He imagined that they were celebrating a special anniversary, perhaps being together for 50 years? He couldn't help but hope that he and Ziva might one day do something similar. There were also quite a few families. The kids running around playing Frisbee or tag. Tim realized that the festival committee lucked out this year since there hadn't been much snow or rain in the last few weeks, allowing the ground to be mostly free of mud. He also saw groups of young adults; he suspected they were college students, enjoying the sun and warm weather that the weekend offered.

When the two came to an area with flooring, Ziva quickly led Tim to the makeshift dance floor, ignoring his protests of being unable to dance to this. Tim really hadn't minded so much, glad of any opportunity that let him hold or touch Ziva. He was especially happy that she seemed to enjoy their attempts. Ziva wouldn't necessarily disagree with Tim about his ability to dance, but had to admit that Jazz music wasn't the easiest to dance to. Still, it was fun trying to dance together, especially since no one got hurt.

"Some day we will have to go out dancing," Ziva suggested as they walked away from the dance floor.

"As long as it's not Jazz, I'm good," Tim agreed. "Or country. I really don't know how to line dance or two-step."

"I do not know how to line dance either," Zima admitted, "Perhaps that is something we can learn on another date?"

Tim smiled at her, liking the idea of both of them learning something new together.

* * *

Ziva paused in mid sentence. "I know this song," she muttered softly, causing Tim to now focus on the music and not Ziva. He started chuckling. "It is not funny," she informed him. "I know I know this, but I cannot think of the words or where it is from."

"There are no words," Tim informed her. "It's a Jazz cover from a movie soundtrack."

She frowned, still unable to place it.

"Star Wars," he supplied, "The Imperial March."

"Ah," Ziva nodded. "Now I remember, Tony played it once when Gibbs was on the warpath."

Tim raised an eyebrow, how had he missed that. Even more so, "How did he survive that?" he asked.

"For once, Gibbs did not appear behind him," Ziva answered.

"Lucky for him," Tim replied, Ziva nodding her agreement.

"If much of Jazz is improvisational, than how can remake of songs be considered jazz?"

"Maybe because the first time it is done it is improvisational?" he asked. "I'm sure many of the songs performed today have been rehearsed over and over. Even the original Jazz Artists performed the same pieces time and again."

"Perhaps," she agreed, her tone indicating that she wasn't sure if she really did agree with him.

"When a Jazz musician creates a cover of a popular song, especially one with lyrics," he added, "in some ways they are creating a new song," Tim stated. "Yes, the song is still recognizable, but it is also so different. Sometimes good, sometimes bad," he admitted, "But definitely different. They add their own thoughts, feelings, emotions to the music, which makes it have a different affect on the people who are hearing it."

* * *

"This is really great," Tim stated, as he lounged against the cooler which was placed against the tree listening to the music. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Ziva returned. "You are the one who introduced me to Jazz music."

Tim just smiled at her.

"How did you get into Jazz music?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I've always liked music. I like how the lyrics so poetically can describe how you are feeling. How the music can convey such deep emotions. How a few notes can bring back memories and feelings associates with it. As for why I like Jazz specifically, a lot of it is instrumental, allowing me to focus on the music and not get distracted by lyrics. It seems to spark my creativity," he admitted. "Maybe because so much of Jazz is improvised. There are no rules, you play to play; to express yourself; to do what feels right. It's freeing, soulful," Tim added, giving her a sheepish look. "I find it relaxing and comforting. It is great to play in the background as I write, or work on things around my apartment."

Ziva nodded as she continued to stare at him. It seemed so strange that someone who overthought everything, someone who always wanted to know and follow the rules loved a form of music so much specifically because it wasn't like that.

"Do you play an instrument?" she wondered out loud.

"I…no," Tim replied.

She looked at him knowingly, "But you had in the past?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I wanted to, begged my mom to let me take lessons. I even did odd jobs around the neighborhood, mowing yards, raking leaves, shoveling snow, things like that," he added, "To raise the money for the lessons and the cost of the instrument myself."

"What happened?" Ziva asked, afraid that she knew the answer.

"My father returned from his post. Wasn't happy that I was engaging in pursuits that wouldn't better develop my skills to help me serve my country. He stopped the lessons and wouldn't let me restart them."

Ziva fell silent, unfortunately, she had suspected something like that. "And you never pursued it as you got older?"

He shrugged, "Didn't have much time while in college, too busy with classes, afterwards, it was work. You know what it's like trying to keep to a regular schedule with our jobs. Some days we work all night, some we are out at 1800, others could be anywhere in between. Even weekends are always our own," he added.

She nodded, "Yes, but surely if you wanted to, you could find a way. You do not necessarily have to learn from someone in person. I am sure there are instructional videos and books you could use."

"I could," he admitted, "It just didn't seem worth the time or effort now."

She nodded, "I understand," she replied, "But just remember that resources are there if you change your mind."

"I will, thank you," he replied, grateful that she had been so supportive.

* * *

The music had been as varied as the artists performing them. It seemed like there was something for everyone in the crowd to enjoy.

Eight different acts performed by the time the Festival ended on Saturday, a few of them were local groups, where music was more of a hobby than a vocation. Some showcased original compositions, while others had covers of famous artists. Each group adding their own mark to the songs they performed.

There were another six scheduled to perform tomorrow.

"So, are we coming back tomorrow?" Tim asked, as they headed home. The festival had continued until 1900 and the couple had been one of the last to leave

"Only if you promise to leave the camp chairs at home," Ziva retorted, grinning at him.

"They are being thrown out, remember?"

She frowned, "Why do you even have camp chairs? Do you go camping often?"

"Kinda, well, used to," he replied, "I got them when I worked with the scouts, they came in handy then, though I haven't used them much lately."

Ziva nodded in understanding, debating whether or not to ask more about the time he spent working with the scouts. Finally, she decided against it, at least at this time. "Do you want to grab something to eat?"

He shrugged, "I'm not really that hungry right now, but we can stop if you would like."

Truthfully she wasn't that hungry either, that chicken pot pie had been rather filling, she just didn't want their date to end. Taking a risk, she shared her feelings with Tim.

"Me, either," he admitted. "You can always come up, I'm sure Jethro would love to see you. We can watch a movie or something, order a pizza later if we do get hungry," he offered.

Ziva turned to him and smiled. Looked like they had a plan for the evening.

After parking the car, they two went up to Tim's apartment. "What shall we watch?" Ziva asked.

Tim shrugged, "Let's take Jethro out first, we can talk about it then."

Jethro greeted them at the door, and while Ziva petted him, Tim grabbed the leash and attached it to his collar. Making sure he had his keys, they left.

"We can always see what is on tv," Tim stated. "If we don't find anything, we can put in a movie." After he had made the initial offer in the car, he realized that he never got that second tv. Of course, now that he and Ziva were on a real date, it won't be as bad lying next to her on his bed. He wouldn't have to worry as much about accidentally touching her. Any touches done now, would be done on purpose.

Ziva nodded her agreement, and as if reading his mind, clasped his hand with hers before eventually moving it to wrap around her while she placed hers around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder as they continued walking Jethro before returning to his apartment.

* * *

1-29-19

And before you ask, yes I was listening to instrumental Jazz while writing/editing/posting this. And yes there is a jazz version of the imperial march (Actually, there are many...Who knew?"

So...what do you think? Did Ziva do well?

Okay, so I know Rock Creek park has (it was open in 2009) an amphitheater, but I wanted them to be on ground able to cuddle (aahhh) instead of in seats, so I based it on the set up of Boston's Hatch Memorial Shell.

So, how do you think Tim and Ziva spent the night? And what will Sunday hold for them?


	63. Sun 3-21 Death Love all that Jazz II(J63

Sun 3-21 Death Love and all that Jazz (J63) Sunday, Part 2

Bonus chapter for you guys today...though somehow, I'm not sure if you will thank me...

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

To help ease their concerns about going too fast in their relationship, late Saturday evening, Ziva returned to her apartment to spend the night there.

Since the second day of the festival didn't start until noon on Sunday, and the two of them weren't concerned about finding the right spot, they decided that Ziva would pick Tim up around 1000 again and the two would go out for a filling, but leisurely, breakfast in lieu of packing a picnic lunch.

After breakfast he and Ziva drove to Rock Creek Park, where they quickly unloaded the car and secured a spot to enjoy the second day of the festival. Currently, they were softly talking, Ziva once again leaning against Tim's chest, wrapped in his arms with one of the blankets around them for extra warmth.

A few minutes later Tim dug his phone out of his pocket and groaned when he read the caller ID. "McGee," Tim said as he answered the phone. Realizing what the call was most likely about, Ziva turned slightly to enable her to hear both sides of his conversation.

"Got a body. Grab Ziva and head to Rock Creek Park."

"Seriously, Boss?" Tim questioned in surprise, and yet, he really wasn't surprised at the destination. "I mean, Ziva and I are already here actually," he informed his boss, becoming uncomfortable at the silence that greeted his words.

"Whose idea was it to have a date at that park?" he finally asked. Tim couldn't tell if his voice had been tinged with humor or horror.

"It was mine," Ziva responded, leaning closer to ensure that she was heard.

Another moment of silence, "And you agreed to it, McGee?" Gibbs asked. "I guess I'm lucky you didn't turn up as the body."

Tim had to bite his lip from laughing, "I suspected the same thing yesterday," he admitted.

"And yet you are the one who does this every year," Ziva commented, lightly poking him in the ribs, causing him to give a slight yelp at the tickling sensation.

"Almost every year," Tim corrected, retaliating by tickling her back, both of them forgetting that Gibbs was still on the phone and listening to their conversation.

"Tony's grabbing the van," Gibbs informed them, before giving them more details regarding the case and the exact location of the body and hanging up.

"We might still be able to hear the music," Ziva offered in consolation, as the couple stood and began to repack their belongings.

"Not clearly; the scenes on the other side of the park. Besides, it wouldn't be the same. And depending on what happened, the festival could be cancelled." Tim groaned. "How are we going to explain both of us already being here to Tony?"

"Are you ashamed of me, Timothy McGee?" she asked, stepping closer to him.

"Never," he declared against her lips, thinking that the reverse would more likely be true. "I would just like to have you to myself before Tony finds out about us and sticks his big nose into this."

"And what will you do with me if you have me to yourself?" She asked, her fingers running down his chest, her eyes staring at his lips.

"This, for starters," he muttered, pulling her closer and into a breathtaking kiss, both of them ignoring the wolf whistles from some of the people around them.

"We need to have you get me alone more often," Ziva stated after the two parted and she had recovered her breath. She couldn't help but think that he had the worse timing. That was probably one of the best kisses they had shared, including the ones from last night while they laid on his bed, and it happened when they were on their way to meet Tony and the team at a crime scene.

Tim just gave her a shy smile before once more picking up their gear. "Still doesn't solve the issue of Tony."

Ziva shrugged, "Maybe we won't have to."

"Really?" Tim questioned as he turned to look at her, "Tony, who notices when I move my monitor, when I change my shirt partway through the day, when you-"

"Okay, I get it," she capitulated. "He's insatiably curious and won't hesitate to ask us questions, especially if he thinks the answer might be embarrassing."

Tim nodded as they started to head back to her car. "Let's just get to the scene, we'll figure it out later," he finally replied.

* * *

Not surprisingly, Tim and Ziva were the first to arrive at the crime scene. They quickly removed their gear from the back seat, making sure to adorn their NCIS apparel. As the most senior agent present, Tim walked over to talk with the local LEO's, while Ziva began to document the scene using the camera that was in her bag, both made sure that no one disturbed the body until Ducky arrived.

It wasn't long before Gibbs arrived and joined Tim, asking additional questions. Soon after, Tony arrived, followed by Ducky and Jimmy. With a nod of his head, Gibbs directed Tim to help Tony unload the gear from the van.

"So, McUnbelievable, how's Peggy?" Tony asked as the two began to transport the gear closer to the scene and the body.

"Fine, good," Tim responded, curious about the nickname, but knowing better than to ask, especially since they were at a crime scene.

"You guys do anything special this weekend?" He asked, looking at Tim knowingly.

"No conventions," Tim replied dryly. It seemed to him like Tony was on a fishing expedition. He's seen the senior agent act like this before, usually it was when he knew something and was trying to get their suspect to confess. The only problem that there weren't any suspects present, just the two of them.

Tim stumbled as that thought hit him. Tony _knew_ something.

"You okay there, McLucky? Didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Tony asked as they reached Gibbs.

"DiNozzo, bag and tag," Gibbs ordered, inclining his head towards Ziva's direction. "McGee, with me," he continued as he started walking towards the body and Ducky. "You're date started _yesterday_?" he asked as they walked, stressing the last word.

* * *

"Way to go, Probie," Tony muttered as he looked at Ziva, "Very lucky indeed."

"What?" she asked absently, focusing on documenting the scene.

"Probie's date," Tony said, smirking knowingly, "Apparently it started yesterday and carried over into today."

Ziva turned to stare at him. "He told you that?" she asked incredulously.

"Nope," Tony smirked, "Gibbs did."

"Really?" she replied doubtfully, unable to imagine Gibbs gossiping, especially about his agents' social lives.

"Yep," Tony confirmed. "I'm guessing that when Gibbs called either she answered his phone or little Timmy was caught with his pants down," he suggested, laughing at the thought of the latter situation. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know which it was, would you?" Tony asked. "I know the two of you have gotten closer than you let on," he added.

Ziva rolled her eyes and shook her head and started to walk away, deciding it would be best not to answer.

"Hey, this is a good thing," Tony told her. "It means his relationship with _Peggy_ might actually work out."

"That relationship does not concern you," she retorted. "None of Tim's relationships do."

"This time it does," he argued.

Ziva turned to stare at him, "Why? Why do you believe that?"

Tony met her eyes, "Because it could break up the team," he informed her knowingly, his eyes losing all trace of humor.

* * *

"It's a two day festival," Tim explained, stopping when Gibbs stopped, turned, and stared at him.

"Oh! No,no, I didn't, we didn't" he hurried to clear up the misconception. "She dropped me off last night, picked me up this morning and we went to breakfast before coming here. Well, not here, here," Tim faltered, "but the other side of the park, where the festival was, is," he concluded.

Gibbs nodded as he once more began to walk towards the body. He believed his agent was telling him the truth, but couldn't help but suspect that he was missing some information.

"Boss?" Tim asked, wondering if he should continue following the older man. "Anything else or should I go interview the witnesses who found the body?"

Gibbs shook his head and continued walking, calling for Ziva to perform that task.

"What did I miss?" Gibbs asked Tim.

"Boss?" Tim asked, looking at him in confusion.

"The LEO, what did he say before I arrive? Anything important?"

"It's all important, right?" Tim replied before informing Gibbs about the conversation that happened before he arrived.

* * *

Ziva swayed at Tony's words. "I…what?"

Tony nodded, "You heard me. McGee told Gibbs and I a few weeks ago that he would have to leave DC and possibly NCIS to recover from his broken heart. I didn't understand why at the time," Tony admitted, "but now…" he paused, "I get it. He mentioned how she was out of his league, how he was more vested in this one than any of his previous relationships, I think I get that as well. I might not have officially met Peggy," he said, rolling his eyes, "But I get it," he repeated.

"I…you do?" Ziva asked in shocked, not sure what else to say.

Before Ziva could say anything else or Tony could answer, Gibbs told her to interview the witnesses. Automatically, she handed the camera to Tony and told him what she had done so far and walked away in a daze.

Her mind a whirlwind with all new information she had. Tim mentioned leaving to Tony and Gibbs definitely explained why the subject came up during Tim's conversation with Gibbs. It didn't explain how Tony found out everything that he knew, though. Something she would make sure to follow up on.

* * *

"Good work, Tim," he said, before taking a step closer to Ducky and the body. "What you got, Duck?"

"Definitely a dead sailor," Jimmy responded before noticeably shutting his mouth and turning away.

"Dead, yes," Ducky confirmed. "Most likely due to his sliced jugular vein," Ducky informed them. "I would place time of death approximately 3-4 hours ago."

"Okay to check ID?" Gibbs asked, nodding to Tim when Ducky motioned him to do so.

"Boss," Tim began, only to pause as he rechecked the screen. "According to this, this is Captain James Fro…"

Gibbs stared at him, an eyebrow raised as he waited for more information. The way the young agent paused he had expected McGee to announce that this was an Admiral. Still, he knew there was going to be some type of problem involved.

"Who died in 2006."

And there it was, Gibbs thought.

* * *

"Tim, I need you back at the yard. Find out everything you can about Captain James Fro and how he died in 2006. We need to know how and where; who identified the body; if an autopsy was done and by who; if he was buried or cremated; _everything_ ," Gibbs stressed.

"Got it, boss," Tim replied, immediately turning around to leave before turning to face Gibbs once again. "Um,"

"See if Ziva will let you take her car, otherwise try to catch a ride to the yard with Ducky and Jimmy."

"Right," Tim nodded before running over to Ziva and explaining the situation to her and grabbing the keys when she offered them. Instinctively he started to lean in to kiss her before catching himself and once more running off, this time towards her car.

* * *

1-29-19

So...What does Tony know?

I love the idea that Gibbs might have thought that Tim and Ziva slept together the night before. Do you think he was mad when he suspected it?

* * *

And there's the bonus chapter...do you love me or hate me for it?

Hmm, maybe it will help if I give a sneak peak of a scene from the next chapter? 

_Her jaw dropped as she turned to him, "When did you get this? How?"_

 _"My great investigative talents," Tony replied smugly._

 _"They're walking Jethro," Abby said, scrolling through the pictures Tony had taken on his phone. "Holding the leash together! Holding hands!"_

 _"Uh-huh," Tony confirmed, "Love me now?"_


	64. Sun Mar 22, Love Experts (J64)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

Wanted this chapter to be longer, but spent most of the evening at the hospital with my grandmother, so didn't get as much done as I would've liked.

* * *

Ziva exited the van, very grateful to be back at the yard. Once Tony had heard about the twist in this case, he talked non-stop regarding possible theories. The only good thing about that is that it distracted his attention away from her relationship with Tim.

She knew that Tim wasn't ashamed of her; she also knew that she wasn't ashamed of him. She did understand his point about wanting to keep their relationship between the two of them, something that obviously wouldn't happen once everyone knew about it. All she could think about was what Abby had said last month about how the interference from Tony and Kate had helped her relationship with Tim come to a premature ending. She really did not want to experience that.

Walking to the back of the van, she automatically reached for the evidence box.

"Hey, don't worry, I got it," Tony said, also reaching for the box.

Ziva frowned, Tony never willingly volunteered to bring the evidence in. Something must have happened that made him want to put off facing the bullpen and Gibbs. "What did you do?" Ziva confronted him, not in the mood for games.

"Me? Nothing?" Tony innocently replied.

"Tony, you're volunteering to carry in the evidence and bring it to Abby. You never do that. I can only suspect that it means that you are up to something or trying to avoid Gibbs, which means that you already did something. Now, spill."

Tony shrugged, "If Gibbs is mad, it's because of the case, or something you or McLover did, not m-"

"Right," Ziva interrupted, acquiescing the box to Tony's care and heading for the elevator as Tony entered the stairwell, a contemplative frown on her face as she wondered what he was up to.

When the elevator arrived, Ziva stepped in, pressed the button for the main lobby before stepping back out before the doors closed. Taking a deep breath, she opened the stairwell and proceeded to the lab.

* * *

"Hey, Abs, presents," Tony said in lieu of a greeting as he entered the lab.

She immediately turned to him, the smile on her face quickly transforming into a frown. "Oh. Evidence. I thought you meant _real_ presents, like a Caf-Pow," she replied, turning back to her computer.

"No, no caf-pow," he admitted, "But I do have other goodies."

"Tony, I told you, I'm not interested."

He rolled his eyes, as he walked across the room until he was standing next to her, both of them with their backs to the lab door. "Not that. _This_ ," he said withdrawing his phone and showing her the pictures on it.

"Oh. Oh. Wow!" Her jaw dropped as she stared at his phone. Finally recovering, she asked, "When did you get this? How?"

"My great investigative talents," Tony replied smugly, a comment Abby ignored to take a closer look at the pictures.

"They're walking Jethro," Abby said, scrolling through the pictures Tony had taken on his phone. "Holding the leash together! Holding hands!"

"Uh-huh," Tony confirmed, "Love me now?"

"What do you have that makes you worthy of love?" Ziva asked as she stepped into the lab. She had been outside the doorway watching and listening to their conversation for a few minutes, and suspected what pictures Tony had on his phone.

"Just a few pictures of _Peggy_ ," Tony replied, grinning broadly at Ziva.

"Hmm, may I see?" she asked, reaching for the phone. Abby immediately handed it over to her, watching her as she looked through the images on Tony's phone.

"I…when did you take these?" Ziva asked, the tone of her voice revealing her surprise as she stared at the pictures.

"Yesterday morning. _Early_ yesterday morning," he pointedly added.

"What does that mean?" Abby asked, staring at the two of them, her gaze flitting from one to the other.

"It means that he has nothing better to do on a weekend than stalk Timothy," Ziva stated, her hand tightening around his phone.

Tony didn't comment on her words, simply glared at her before replying to Abby, "It means that McLover spent the weekend, the _entire_ weekend, from Friday night on, with her," Tony responded. "I believe they were still together when Gibbs called about the crime scene today," he told Abby before sharing his theories with her, the two of them laughing over the thought of Gibbs catching McGee in such a situation.

Neither noticed when Ziva placed Tony's phone on the table and exited the lab.

"So, do you need me to find out who she is?" Abby eagerly asked. "I mean, we _are_ going to find out right? I mean, he's letting her walk Jethro, who knows what else he is letting her do? Oh!" she exclaimed as she suddenly remembered something, "Didn't you tell me that she helped watch Jethro when Timmy went home one weekend with Sarah? We really need to find out who she is, if she has experience with animals. We don't want Jethro to get hurt."

"And Tim?" Tony asked. Was Abby always this concerned about the dog?

She shrugged, "He won't get hurt if Jethro doesn't," she replied.

"Uh-huh." Tony replied, not sure how to take her words. He always thought her threat of killing someone and leaving no forensic evidence behind was just words, meant to scare, but in actuality, would never happen, because _Abby_ couldn't really hurt anyone. Hel-Heck, she goes bowling with nuns.

"So, what do you need me to do to track her down? Facial recognition? Run DNA or prints?" she asked. "Please tell me you got one of those, it will be much easier than trying to get something from a picture taken on a phone."

"Nah," he smirked, easily dismissing his earlier thoughts, and eager to share everything he had learned. "already started identifying her. Her name is Sandy. _Sandy_ ," he repeated, "It's such a wholesome name. Seems to fit our Timmy well," he continued. "Tim and Sandy; Sandy and Tim. Oh, and get this," he leaned in, as if offering sensitive information, but before he could speak, Abby's phone rang, the sound reminding him that they had a case.

"If that's Gibbs, tell him I already left," Tony tossed out over his shoulder as he hurriedly left the lab to return to the bullpen.

"Tony! What were you going to say?" she called after him before finally answering her phone.

* * *

"Whatcha got McGee?"

"A giant headache," Tim muttered, causing Tony to just look at him in disbelief.

"That's it? You've been at this for hours."

"An hour and a half at the most," Tim argued. "And I cannot find any holes in Captain James Fro's original proclamation of death. It occurred with his unit, everything, all his injuries are documented, including pictures. It definitely looked like him," Tim admitted, "I even compared those images to pictures of him from award ceremonies and his High School yearbook picture," he added. "His wife and crew identified the body. He was cremated, so we cannot exhume the grave."

"Twins? Brothers? Look alike cousins?" Tony asked.

Tim shook his head, "Nope. Besides, even identical twins have different fingerprints, which I guess makes the term identical a misnomer," he added thoughtfully.

"Back to the case, McGee," Tony ordered.

"Nothing," Tim repeated, rubbing his temple.

"Here," Ziva said, placing a few aspirin and a drink on Tim's desk.

"Thanks, sw-so much," he replied, flashing her a grateful smile.

"Could it be like that case we had a few years ago? The organ donor one?" Tony offered.

Tim raised an eyebrow at that suggestion, "A donation of fingerprints?"

"Well, hands," Tony clarified. "I can't imagine being able to transplant fingertips, especially not all the fingerprints. Those hands would look more like Frankenstein's hands than Frankenstein's did," he added, holding up his hands in front of his face and wiggling his fingers.

Ziva frowned, "How is it possible for something to look more like the original than the original?" Ziva asked.

Tim shrugged, "Don't really know," he admitted. "Not that it really matters here, especially since Tony actually means the hands of Frankenstein's monster and not Dr. Frankenstein himself," he added.

"And you wonder why you can't get a girlfriend, McFastidious," Tony snorted.

Ziva just raised an eyebrow and stared at the SFA in disbelief.

"What?" he asked defensively, "She's not his girlfriend, remember? He only reminds us of that ten times a day."

Ziva just glared at him one last time before returning to her desk.

"So, what's next?" Tony asked.

Tim shrugged, "Talk with Ducky. Make sure Abby gets a sample of DNA and blood to run, see if it matches the files of the original Fro. Ask if he will talk to the ME who did the first autopsy. Have Abby run facial recognition on the picture of the newly deceased James Fro," Tim replied. "Might not hurt to have her run ones on the first as well, perhaps compare them to each other as well? That's all I got for now," he concluded with a shrug.

"Good work, McGee, you want to go talk to Ducky or Abby?" Gibbs asked his agent.

"Ducky, definitely Ducky," he replied immediately, surprised that the choice was his. Gibbs nodded in reply before inclining his head for Tim to head out. "DiNozzo,"

"Abby, got it boss,"

"No," Gibbs corrected, "Run financials on Fro's family, see if any of them have had any unexplained deposits since the first James Fro's death."

"Right, boss," Tony reluctantly agreed, stifling a groan as he headed to his computer.

"Ziva, get a picture of both bodies and get them to Abby so she can run them."

"On it, Gibbs," she replied, before heading out of the bullpen.

"Hey, boss," Tony spoke suddenly, once he started running the financials, as well as a few other searches, and realized that the two were alone in the bullpen, "What happened when you called McGee about the crime scene?"

Gibbs looked at him a moment before dryly replying, "He answered his phone."

"There goes the first theory," Tony muttered, grinning at the reinforced idea of the second one. "I meant, how did you know his date started yesterday? Where was he? What were they doing?"

Gibbs glared at Tony, "Not your business," he replied.

"Come on, boss," Tony pleaded. "I know things have changed between him and his girl, I just want confirmation that things really are good."

"Why?"

Tony just looked at him, wondering if the senior agent had forgotten what Tim had told them a few weeks ago. "Because McLonely mentioned that if it doesn't work out he might leave DC," Tony reminded him, causing Gibbs to look at him, wondering why he couldn't show this level of concern when McGee was present. Right as he was about to comment on that out loud, Tony continued, "I would really hate having to break in a new Probie. It's a lot of work," he added.

Gibbs just shook his head, apparently regular Tony was back. "Why don't you just ask Tim about his relationship?"

"It's McGee," Tony replied as if that explained everything. "He'll either say everything is fine and be in denial about things or say that it's a disaster because he either has unrealistic expectations or because he doesn't expect everything stay fine, even if they currently are."

Gibbs had to hide his grin at Tony's reply. In some way, the Senior Field Agent did know his team, which is another reason why it was so surprising that he was clueless about crossing that privacy line. "He was already at Rock Creek Park," Gibbs answered, before standing up and heading out for more coffee.

"What? _Why_?" Tony asked, automatically, not expecting an answer since he was alone. What possible reason could McGee have to be at the park? He should know it was one of the most popular body dumps around. Maybe Sandy took him there, Tony suddenly thought. After all, she wouldn't know about the reputation the park had among LEO's…unless she _was_ a criminal…or a LEO, the fleeting thought came to Tony.

* * *

"I will be right with you, Timothy," Ducky stated after seeing who entered autopsy. He finished the preliminary exam of the body and walked towards his desk. "What can I do for you today, Timothy? I hope you are not here to ask for my findings already," he warned.

"Nah, I'll let Gibbs be the one with unrealistic expectations," Tim replied with a teasing smile.

"You seem to be in a much better mood today compared to last week," Ducky observed.

"Yeah," Tim replied, a smile lighting his face. "It was a good weekend. Er," he hesitated, "not that being called out for a case is a good thing."

"I know," Ducky chuckled, patting his arm. "I take it you and your lady friend talked?"

"A bit," Tim replied. "We started to uncomplicated things a bit," he admitted. "They are still complicated, but, well," he gave a shy smile, "We both kinda admitted to wanting to see where things go, admitted to believing that it could be more."

"Good for you," Ducky grinned in delight. "I am happy for the both of you, do pass that on for me."

"Thanks, and yes, course," Tim agreed immediately.

"However, I am sure that giving me an update is not why you made the trek all the way down here."

"No, it's not," Tim agreed. "Actually, I have a few favors to ask you."

"Anything my dear boy, anything," Ducky immediately agreed.

"First, I want to make sure we get a DNA sample and some blood to Abby as soon as possible. We are hoping that maybe it won't match the first dead Fro's information. Second, I was wondering if you could talk to the ME who did that autopsy? Find out if anything might be hinky or suspect, if anything struck him as unusual?"

"I am happy to inform you that the blood sample should already be in Abby's hands," he grinned. "As for your second favor, I would love to," Ducky immediately replied. "Do you have his information?"

Tim passed along what he had.

"Hmm, I do not know him," the ME commented. "I will have to go through the proper channels to get a hold of him, which means I will not be able to speak to him until tomorrow."

"You mean not everyone works Sunday evenings?" Tim asked in mock surprise.

"Oh, away with you now," Ducky merrily joked, shooing him out the doors. Once he was gone, Ducky headed back to his desk pondering the changes in Timothy McGee. The Tim from a few months ago wouldn't have teased him like that. It was a welcome change, a very welcome change indeed, Ducky thought, and he was fairly confident he knew who was responsible. What do they say, he paused as he tried to remember. Oh, yes, people can't really change, but true love brings out their best!(1)

* * *

1-30-19

(Okay, so it's technically after midnight...Just don't tell Tim, he'll make me change the date)

(1) Yes, it is from Frozen, specifically Fixer-Upper, the love experts...felt that line was fitting.

Hmm, what happens when Ziva goes to the lab to give Abby the photos...


	65. Sun Mar 22, Hinky (J65)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies

* * *

As hard as it was to obtain photos that didn't show the main subjects covered in blood, Ziva suspected that the more difficult part of her task would be bringing them to Abby. She was definitely not in the mood to see or speak to the forensic scientist right now. Though she was glad that Gibbs had assigned this task to her instead of one of the male agents. She couldn't even guess what Abby would say to Tim about what was going on; let alone what she and Tony would plan next in their attempts to learn more about 'Peggy'. Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that the middle of a case, especially one as challenging as this one was becoming, was not the time to yell at Abby, she calmly entered the lab. Only to find a very welcoming sight.

Jimmy Palmer dropping off samples. "Jimmy," she greeted, giving him a smile.

"Hello, Ziva," he replied, returning her smile.

"Ziva, hi," Abby greeted happily. "I don't really know anything yet," she pointedly stated.

Ziva frowned not sure what Abby meant, she hadn't expected to receive any results on the evidence yet.

"I'm going to ask Tony to send me a copy of the pictures," she added, not wanting to say more with Jimmy present.

As if suspecting his presence wasn't wanted, Jimmy said, "I'll be out of your way in a minute, so you two can talk, I just need this signed," he stated, holding out the log and a pen to Abby.

"No need," Ziva replied, looking at them both. "I actually have the pictures for you, Abby," she said. Abby immediately reached out to grab the envelope. "We would like you to run facial recognition on them in addition to compare the two to each other."

Abby frowned in confusion as she opened up the envelope. "Aren't they the same person?" she asked, taking a look at the photos.

"Highly unlikely, though AFIS is telling us that they are."

Abby frowned, "Why is it unlikely?"

"Because one is the body discovered this morning and is currently down in autopsy, the other was supposedly cremated 2 ½ years ago."

"Yeah, very unlikely," Abby agreed. "Unless he came back as a vampire. Oh!" she exclaimed, "Jimmy, you said his neck was severed?"

"His jugular vein," he corrected, guessing what she was getting at. "He wasn't decapitated."

"Oh," she deflated. "Maybe our killer didn't understand that you need to cut off the head to kill a vamp, not just severe the artery?"

"I…don't think that was the issue," Jimmy tentatively said, trying to be tactful.

"I am sure it is not," Ziva added harshly. "We are not dealing with vampires."

"Well, something hinky is going on," Abby replied.

Ziva just snorted, hinky was not the word she would use. Invasive, disrespectful, rude, and inconsiderate, were a few that sprang to her mind.

Abby frowned as she stared at Ziva, "Ziva, are you okay? Did something happen?"

Ziva just looked at her not answering.

"Um, yeah," Jimmy said awkwardly, shuffling his feet, "If you just sign this," he tapped the log and held out the pen to Abby.

"Ziva?" Abby questioned again, ignoring Jimmy. Why was her friend acting so strange? "Is everything all right?"

Ziva looked at Jimmy before looking away and replying, "Yes. I just have a lot on my mind," she explained.

"Oh!" Abby exclaimed in sudden realization. "Did you finally decide to break up with your knight? Or did something else happen...or not happen as scheduled?" Abby asked. Usually when she acted like that it was because she was late and worried.

" _That_ is not your business," Ziva snapped in reply before turning and exiting the lab without another word.

"I…okay," Abby replied, taken aback by Ziva's attitude. They definitely broke up, Abby thought, though given Ziva's reaction, it doesn't look like she was the one who initiated it.

"Abby?" Jimmy prodded, uncomfortable with what he just witnessed, "The log?"

"What?" Abby asked, refocusing on the work in front of her. "oh, yeah, of course," she said, finally taking the offered pen and signing. Part of her mind was still thinking about Ziva and if there was anything she could do to help her.

* * *

After leaving the lab, Ziva stomped down to the evidence garage for a few moments of solitude to pull herself together. The minute she exited the lab, she realized what Abby had been talking about since the moment she arrived. She was talking about 'Peggy' or rather, the new dog walker that they had mistaken for Peggy. And those photo's, she realized with a groan. Anyone could see that Tim was passing Jethro's leash to her and that they were not holding hands.

She paused and took a few more deep breaths, grateful that not many agents were working today and she was alone in this corner of the building. She would've preferred the gym, but knew she couldn't spend that much time away from her desk. She just needed to calm down a bit before she was able to deal with Tony again.

When Ziva finally returned to the bullpen, it was to find Gibbs gone and Tony once more interrogating Tim.

"So, what were you doing at the park?" Tony asked. "And were you alone?" Tony asked, staring at McGee knowingly, waiting for an answer.

"There was a jazz fiesta," Ziva answered the first question for Tim as she sat down at her desk.

"Festival," Tim corrected automatically.

"Yes, that," she acknowledged the correction, "a festival there this weekend."

"Oh," a saddened Tony remarked. "Is that why your date started yesterday?"

"How do you…" Tim began to ask in surprise.

He shrugged, "Gibbs."

"Oh, yeah, right," Tim vaguely remembered Tony being in the vicinity when Gibbs asked about that.

Before Tim could say anything else, Tony continued, "So, you took my advice and arranged a date with something you wanted to do. Good for you," he encouraged. "It must've worked out well if you came back for the second day of the festival. Though I don't know why you picked an outdoor festival in March," he added, shaking his head.

"I didn't plan it, she did," Tim admitted.

"Oh. Well, at least she picked something with you in mind. She does know you like Jazz music doesn't she? Or was that just a coincidence?"

"She knows."

"Well, that is good then. So, I take it she took off once Gibbs raised the bat signal? Too bad, I would've liked to have properly met her. Er, not that she would've been allowed at the crime scene, right boss?" Tony asked, noticing Gibbs approach.

"I'm sure she would've been more helpful than you, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied, joining Tim and Ziva smirking at Tony at the joke only the three of them got.

"C'mon, really, boss?" Tony whined before casually mentioning, "You know, I don't think I've ever been to Rock Creek Park when we weren't investigating a crime," looking at his teammates.

"That festival is an annual event, I actually try to attend every year, as long as the weather cooperates," Tim admitted.

Tony shook his head again at the subject, "Seriously, who plans an outdoor festival in DC in March? I don't care if it is Spring, it's still _March_. I mean, according to the weather report, we are expecting snow later this week."

Tim just shrugged since he had said something similar to Ziva yesterday.

"And she planned it, huh, Probie? Was she _trying_ to kill ya or get you sick? At least tell me you guys had portable propane heaters or something."

"Nope," he returned cheerfully, smiling at the memory of yesterday. "She actually suggested that we share body heat to keep warm."

"Oh! Now that's a whole other story," Tony replied, suddenly understanding why Tim was so happy as he began to roll his chair closer to his partner's desk in an attempt to get more information.

"And one for another day," Gibbs added. "We have a case to solve. DiNozzo, what ya got?"

"Financials are clean. No unexpected or unidentified deposits. Couldn't locate any hidden accounts linked to the family, either," he admitted.

Gibbs nodded, "Ziva?"

"Gave a picture of both James Froes to Abby, she will run them and tell us when she gets some results. Currently, I am trying to track down the last known location of the first James Fro's immediate family in case we need to interview them."

Gibbs nodded, glad someone was planning ahead. "McGee?" Gibbs asked, turning to the younger man.

"Ducky was getting those samples up to Abby; He was also going to contact the ME who performed the autopsy on the first James Fro two and a half years ago. However, he was going to do that tomorrow, since he didn't personally know him and would have to contact the business to do so."

Gibbs nodded. "Okay, so what's the next step?"

The team stared at Gibbs before exchanging looks with each other. Normally the only time Gibbs said something like that was when rule 38 came into play, but as far as they knew, nobody else should have the lead on this since it didn't involve a case any of them had been involved with.

"I…" Tim began when everyone else remained silent. However, when they all looked to him, he snapped his mouth shut. Ziva caught his eye and nodded, encouraging him to speak. "Motive. If today's body really is Fro, why was he killed?" Tim said. "We need to look into his background, see if anyone had a grudge against him, killing him once they discovered that he was still alive."

Gibbs nodded again, pleased they had a plan of attack. "If his first death was faked, his family could be involved as well. Someone had to be in on it. Find out who else benefitted from his faked death."

"Right," Tim agreed.

"DiNozzo, you check out the parents and siblings. Ziva, the wife; McGee, Fro," Gibbs ordered. "Then we move on to the crew and close friends."

* * *

"So were you with guy in tights when you got the call today?" Tony asked later that night. The team was still trying to background James Fro, to determine not only who benefited from his fake death, but who might've had a grudge against him and killed him once they knew he was alive. It was tedious work and due to the current time, mostly done by computer, leaving opportunity to engage others in conversation.

"Actually, yes, and again Tony, he took me to the ballet, he wasn't dancing in it," she answered.

Tony shrugged, without a name he had to identify the guy somehow and that worked, after all it's not like he could mix up guy in tights with anyone else, and the fact that it annoyed Ziva was a plus. "So, how serious has this relationship gotten?"

Ziva shrugged, not answering.

Tony narrowed his eyes and approached her desk, sitting on the edge, "Have you slept together?"

"Tony!" Tim yelled. "You don't ask a lady that type of question."

"She's a ninja warrior," Tony defended.

"Even more reason not to ask and risk offending her," Tim replied. Tony was silent and looking at Ziva, still waiting for an answer.

"He has spent the night," Ziva admitted, "And we have woken up together a few times."

"Ziva!" Tim hissed.

Ziva shrugged, "It is the truth. I am not ashamed of it or him," Ziva said staring at Tim trying to make him see the truth of her words. "And it is something I wish would happen more often," she boldly added.

"I see," Tony finally stated, focusing on Ziva and missing Tim's reaction to those words. Eventually he stood back up to returned to his desk. "So that's how it is, huh? Both of you in the beginning stage of a serious relationship and nobody has met these new people in your life? Are we at least going to meet them _before_ a wedding occurs?" he harshly asked.

"Yes," Tim and Ziva simultaneously promised, causing Tony to momentarily pause and look at them.

"Well, at least that's something," he muttered. "Seriously, why are you both so hesitant to reveal any information about them?"

"Why should we?" Tim asked Tony earnestly. "You have given me no reason to trust you with personal information."

"I'm curious because I care," Tony announced.

"Then you care wayyyy too much," Tim muttered, drawing out the word way,

"What was that Probie?"

Tim straitened and looked Tony in the eye, "I said that apparently you care way too much. You're level of curiosity borders on obsession," he bluntly replied.

"Hey! I'm just trying to look out for you two."

"I am sure we will be fine," Ziva stated confidently, sharing a smile with Tim when Tony also turned to look at the younger man.

"I'm sure you will be, but Probie here?" Tony shook his head, "He's a disaster waiting to happen."

"Thanks, Tony," Tim snapped at the senior field agent.

"Nothing personal," Tony added as he waved his dismissively, "We really should get together for drinks or Karaoke sometime," he suggested again. "You two and your Valentine's, me and one of mine," he smirked.

"Valentine's Day was over a month ago," Ziva replied, "Can you still call someone your Valentine if you haven't talked or gone out with them again since then?"

"How-never mind that," Tony replied. "So, we gonna make this double, er, triple date thing happen?"

"And have you scare her off by listing my faults all night? I don't think so," Tim muttered.

Toy snorted, "If 'elf lord' and jazz music didn't scare her, I can't think of anything I could say that might."

"Yet I'm sure you will try anyway," Tim retorted, causing Tony to grin as he returned to his computer.

"Seriously, think about it," he advised, once more missing the look his coworkers exchanged.

"Hmm," Ziva hummed thoughtfully, "Perhaps Tim and I should do something like that."

Tony just stared at her, unable to believe that she would leave him out when he was the one who suggested it.

* * *

The hour had gotten late, but no one wanted to mention that to Gibbs, especially since they still did not have a positive ID on the body. Abby had yet to call with any results, as well.

"I'm beginning to think Abby's vampire theory is plausible," Tony muttered, as yet another search resulted in no motive or suspect.

Tim snorted, "I'm more likely to believe your idea of donor fingertip replacement," he argued.

"Yeah, I do come up with some good ideas," Tony acknowledged.

"Not lately," Ziva muttered, causing both her companion to look at her. Tim out of concern and curiosity, wondering why her temper seemed to have a short fuse with their coworker lately, and if Tony had done something to warrant her anger; Tony in disbelief and surprise, ever since Ziva started seeing guy in tights she hadn't been as much fun, constantly siding with McGeek over him. Her new boy toy was definitely a bad influence, he realized. He did not know much about either teammate's significant other, but both have had an impact on how his teammates interact with him. Tim seemed to become more confident, standing up for himself, not just with Tony, but with Abby and Gibbs as well. Ziva, however, seemed more hostile than teasing. It was as if she hap appointed herself judge, jury, and, if the looks she had given him lately were any indication, executioner of Tony's harmless words and actions.

"Yeah, well, I don't see you offering any suggestions or theories," Tony retorted, glaring at her.

She shrugged before standing up and walking around her desk to lean on the front of it. "Let us think about this," she began, methodically listing what they knew. "A man with the name, fingerprints, and life of James Fro died 2 ½ years ago while with his crew. Said crew and wife identified the body.

"Another man died this morning, when running his prints, they came up as belonging to James Fro, the same James Fro who died 2 ½ years previously. Fingerprints are unique to each individual, even with so called 'identical twins'," Ziva added, receiving a smile and a nod from Tim and a 'go on' gesture from Tony. "We have not heard back about the blood and DNA," she added.

"We know all that," Tony reminded her, "What we don't know is if this guy is the real James Fro."

Ziva frowned at his impatience, "I would say he is not," she began before explaining her reasons why. "Searches show no recent activity of a James Fro meeting his description," she continued only to be interrupted by Tony.

"If he faked his death, he wouldn't be using that name," he pointed out.

"If he faked his death, he would've hidden himself on the other side of the world, and especially away from the Navy, not in it's front yard. The body was found in uniform," Ziva reminded them, "He could not be part of the navy under an assumed name when his original name and prints were already registered with us under his original/real name."

"Maybe he was killed because of something that happened years ago when he lived as James Fro," Tony countered. "The killer put the uniform on him so we would be called and would easily identify the body and bring his deception to light."

"We could have done that without a body, all he had to do was provide photo evidence for a case to be opened and investigated," Ziva stated. "In fact, that would have been the better revenge, ending his double life, making his family, friends, the US government, everyone aware of it. He would have been punished over and over, the repercussions of his actions would be endless. By ending his life, yes it brought everything to light, but _he_ didn't suffer, he is at peace. It is everyone left behind that has to pick up the pieces."

"Thank you, Ziva, you're a genius!" Tim said as he jumped up and approached her. Once he reached her he grabbed her in a hug and swung her around, to the shock of everyone present.

"I am?" a surprised Ziva questioned.

"She is?" Tony echoed in disbelief.

"I think you are right that the body we have no is _not_ James Fro. And we might have a motive. Revenge," Tim explained. "They wanted revenge on James Fro, or his family, or, most likely, both. But Fro was dead," Tim pointed out, "So they arranged a way to cast doubts n the death that occurred two years ago. His family is tormented by reliving the pain his death originally brought, plus the added stress and issues of believing that he _left_ them to build a new life; his death benefits are called into question, and might have to be repaid, subjecting them to monetary issues; there is also the suspicion of _why_ he faked his death, what was he involved in. It's a revenge plan that strikes from every angle," Tim added.

"McGee, if you are right about this, could someone be able to change AFIS to make us think it is Fro?"

"I…yeah, with the right skills and tools," Tim admitted. "But they would've left tracks when they did it," Tim replied, with a knowing smile. "And I should be able to find those tracks if that is what they did," he added.

"Tim, go," Gibbs ordered, setting his agent to work on getting that proof. "Tony, Ziva, dig deeper into Fro's past. If Tim is right, someone wanted revenge bad enough to go to such extreme steps to get it."

* * *

"Hey," Ziva said softly as she stole a few moments away from her desk to see how Tim was fairing. In order to get the proof needed, Tim had taken over a couple of computers in Cybercrimes.

"Hey," he replied, his eyes leaving the computer screen to find hers. "Taking a break?" he asked.

She shrugged, "It was either that or attack Tony with a paperclip."

"So, the usual then," he teased. "I'm sure as long as you don't kill him, permanently maim him or do anything that requires a trip to the hospital it will be fine."

Ziva rolled her eyes before asking a question that had been in the back of her mind for most of the day. "Did Gibbs really tell Tony about our date? That it started on Saturday?"

"What? No," Tim replied after processing the question. "Gibbs isn't one to get involved in his agent's personal lives."

"Hmph."

"What?" Tim asked, lightly stroking her hand.

"Tony told me that Gibbs mentioned it to him and when he said it to you, you said 'oh yeah, right'."

"Oh, yeah," Tim responded, before grimacing as he realized how he answered. "Gibbs asked me about it and Tony overheard."

"You mean he was eavesdropping and spying," Ziva corrected bitterly.

"No," he contradicted, remaining calm, "I mean Gibbs mentioned it at the crime scene while we were within a few feet of Tony. I'm not surprised he overhead it and mentioned it to you. The only reason he didn't mention it to me at the crime scene was because I stayed with Gibbs and he was ordered to bag and tag."

"Oh," Ziva replied, calming down at the information.

"Are you okay?" he asked, shooting her a worried glance.

"I am fine."

"Uh-huh."

"If you have something to say, just say it," she snapped.

"Hey," he said, waiting until Ziva looked at him. "Don't be like that, not with me. I'm just noticing that you seem awfully concerned with Tony and his actions," he mentioned, not really expecting a reply. "I am on your side. I'm _always_ on your side, and I'll always have your back," he reassured her. "If you want to talk, I'm here."

"Thank you," she replied, kissing him in apology for her tone. "I know, but I'm not ready to talk about it, yet, okay?"

"Okay," he repeated, before giving her another kiss before reminding her that she needed to get back upstairs, they both had work to do.

* * *

"I can't find anything," Tim repeated despondently. "Nothing to indicate that his prints were changed," he admitted.

"Well, that matches what Abby has," Tony replied. "The DNA came back as Fro's and the blood type matched as well."

Tim's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I really thought I was onto something, It made more sense than vampires and donor theories."

"You win some, you lose some," Tony commented. "And in this case, you lost us a lot of time."

Tim rolled his eyes. "A few hours in the middle of a Sunday night. It won't set us back that much."

"Hmph," Tony huffed, "But you still have to tell Gibbs."

* * *

1-31-19

Yeah, yeah, after midnight again...by more than 10 minutes though..

Well, here it is, the next chapter. And yes, this story will be coming to an end soon

Thanks for reading and reviewing, I love hearing from everyone and know what you are thinking and feeling.


	66. Monday Mar 23, Right or Wrong (J66)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

It was officially Monday and the team was still trying to find out which body was the real James Fro. Around midnight, Gibbs had ordered them to get some rest, in shifts so someone was always working the case. As soon as daylight hit, he expected the team to be on the road. He had a feeling they would have to visit Fro's family to get some answers.

Tim had taken the first shift for sleeping. After not being able to find tracks of someone hacking into AFIS and changing the prints for Fro, he felt pretty useless anyway, so he decided he might as well get some rest, hoping that afterwards he'll be able to retackle the problem with a clearer mind. He had opted not to go down to the lab to rest on the futon, and he definitely didn't want to sleep on an autopsy table, so he snuck into conference room 3, thinking it would be quieter than the bullpen.

He really thought he had been onto something. While Ziva was talking, he just got this feeling in his stomach. That feeling intensified, but once he shared his thoughts about the case, it settled. He had no doubt Tony would call it gas, but Tim knew it was more than that; in fact, he couldn't help wondering if this was how Gibbs felt when he 'gut' was telling him something. His mind, however, wouldn't settle he realized ruefully. With his brain racing and thinking about the problem, he didn't get any sleep. He had eventually given up trying and returned to the bullpen a little after an hour later. Of course, he had also wondered what was going on with Tony and Ziva, another reason to return early was because he did not want to leave the two of them alone for too long, especially not with the way Ziva had been reacting to him the last few days.

Ziva had been next to take a break. Like Tim, she didn't get much sleep. All she kept thinking about was the conversations she heard between Tony and Abby. She knew that she should tell Tim about them, had planned on it in fact. At first, she didn't want to tell him before or during their date this past weekend, wanting their time to be focused on them, not their nosy coworkers. She had to admit that she was also worried about how Tim would react, after all, she was furious at them, but their actions had been against him, not her, wouldn't he be even angrier? She knew she had to say something and soon, she just hoped this case was miraculously solved today so she could tell him tonight. If one more thing happened with Tony and Abby, she could not guarantee that she could keep a hold of tongue. Once more imitating Tim, she returned to the bullpen before her scheduled nap time ended, knowing it was futile to even try to sleep, especially since she was concerned about Tim and Tony being alone in the bullpen.

Tony had immediately jumped up when he saw Ziva approach. He was exhausted and would love to catch a cat nap. And if Ziva returning early allowed him an extra 40 minutes, well, he wasn't about to complain, he decided as he quickly scurried away, pointedly _not_ looking towards Gibbs's desk.

"Hey, did you get any sleep?" Tim asked her as she entered the bullpen.

She smiled, "About the same as you, I expect," she offered in response, approaching his desk instead of moving towards her own.

"That much then, huh?" he teased. "Yeah, this case has me baffled. I really thought…" he trailed off, after all, everyone knew what he had thought.

"Tim, it is okay. It very well could have been possible, do not beat yourself up on the head with it."

Tim smiled at her words, "Thank you. I just wish we had something."

"I know," she said, reaching out to clasp his hand and administer a comforting squeeze. "What are you working on now?"

"Looking up James Fro's old medical reports. Figure maybe we can identify the correct body by scar marks or something," he added at her curious look. "Perhaps old marks that aren't on the new body; or significant marks that are from before the first one's death that do not correspond with Fro's medical file."

She nodded, "That is a good idea. Can I help?"

"Yeah, you can," Gibbs injected from his desk, causing both agents to turn and look at him, hands still clasped together. "Get him out of here."

"Boss?" Tim asked, both surprised and hurt at those words. He knew that the supervisory agent was present, he just didn't understand why Gibbs wanted him gone. The older man didn't seem angry earlier when Tim informed him that he couldn't find any trace of someone hacking AFIS.

"You both need to unwind before we take this case on the road. We have no idea what this day or case might bring. Go. Take a run, do a few rounds in the ring, hell, I don't care if you type, write, whatever, just relax for at least a half hour. Neither of you will do the team any good if you're burnt out."

"I-okay," Tim reluctantly agreed as Ziva started leading him away from his desk, barely giving him a chance to grab their bags. If they were going to work out, he was going to make sure that they both had clothes to change into afterwards.

"Just remember that there are eyes and cameras all over this building," Gibbs added smirking to himself, as he walked away from the bullpen.

"What?" he asked; not surprised that he didn't receiving an answer. Ziva came to a stop by the elevator, pressing the button to call the car. Tim immediately turned to her and handed Ziva her bag before asking, "What did that mean?"

She shrugged, as she accepted the parcel. "I believe he noticed when I reached out to clasp your hand, and that I never released it," she replied honestly. "And he might have been the noise we heard in Cybercrimes earlier, or rather, late last night," she corrected, "Perhaps he saw us."

"I thought you said no one was there," Tim replied with a lift of an eyebrow.

Once the elevator arrived and the doors opened, Tim ushered her in before entering after her.

She shrugged, "No one was there when I left, that does not mean that someone did not follow behind me or was not there when we were not looking."

Tim rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant and thought you meant."

"Yes," she admitted, flipping the switch to stop the elevator. They didn't need to remain in the car for privacy since most of the building was empty, but without knowing their destination, she didn't want to just ride up and down multiple times either. "But would it have done any good for me to point out that someone could have been there? All it would have done was made you worry more, you had enough on your platter trying to get into AFIS."

"It could've prepared me if Tony had seen and said something."

"Did he?"

Tim shrugged, "I don't know if he saw, but he didn't say anything."

Ziva looked at him knowingly, "If he saw he would have said something, he would not have been able to restrain himself and you know it."

Another shrug, "Gibbs stayed at his desk the entire time you were gone," Tim admitted. "Tony didn't have a chance to say anything since I doubt he would've mentioned it with him present." No, Tony would've tried to blackmail him about breaking rule 12 first before bringing it up to Gibbs.

Ziva shook her head, "Well, that was not the case while you were gone. Tony did not mention it to me, not when I returned from Cybercrimes nor when you had your break, so I believe that it was not him. The next logical choice would be Gibbs."

Tim frowned, in some ways that made sense, but, "Why wouldn't he just call me or you if he was looking for one of us. And why did he leave without saying anything?"

Ziva shrugged, "I do not know, would not like to even attempt to guess at how his mind works. Now, what do you prefer, something active like a run, some time on the mats, or the ring? Or something more relaxing like a game of scrabble?" She added the last teasingly.

"Can we just walk for a bit?" he asked. "Even though I couldn't sleep, I am tired. I think any kind of physical activity will completely wipe me out."

Ziva smiled at him, "I have a better idea," Ziva replied as she dug her car keys out of her bag and dangled them in front of Tim.

Tim wasn't sure what she had in mind, but knew that he could trust her.

* * *

Over an hour later a more refreshed looking Tim and Ziva reentered the bullpen and headed to their desks. Gibbs had looked up as they entered and smirked knowingly, without saying a word, before returning his attention to the papers on his desk.

Tim would've liked the opportunity to thank him for kicking them out of the bullpen. He definitely felt like he was able to focus better now. The two had retreated to her car, where they actually climbed into the back seat, snuggled up together, occasionally talking or exchanging kisses. It wasn't long however, before the two fell asleep wrapped around each other, feeling more secure and comfortable than they had earlier.

Eagerly, Tim opened the medical files again, hoping for something that would correctly identify the body.

"Wait…what?" Tim mumbled to himself about hour later as he reread the latest medical report on his screen.

"McGee?"Gibbs asked wondering if his agent found something.

"Ziva, what type of blood did Abby say our body downstairs had and was listed on James Fro's records?"

Ziva frowned as she quickly checked on that information. "O positive, on both," She replied. "The most popular blood type."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Tim muttered, still staring at his monitor.

"McGee?" Gibbs asked again.

"Look," he said, bringing the report on his screen up on the plasma. "Right there, it said he received a _transplant_ of A negative blood."

Ziva frowned in confusion, "O blood is universal, is it not?"

"O _negative_ blood is universal to donate for all other blood types to receive, yeah, but not to receive themselves; O positive can be given to any of the other positive blood types," he explained as he brought up a chart from google that showed what blood types were compatible. "If he had O positive blood, than the only blood he should have received from a transfusion would be O negative or O positive."

"I cannot imagine a hospital would make that mistake," Ziva commented.

"Exactly!" Tim replied, before digging further into that medical report and calling the hospital to verify the report. The other two were looking at the chart and wondering what it could mean.

Before they could say anything, Tony reentered the bullpen and stared at the plasma, coming to a stop next to Ziva. "What, I'm gone for a few hours and you guys bring out charts and graphs?"

"Ziva," Gibbs said, inclining his head towards Tony.

Immediately her hand raised up and administered a slap.

"Ow! What was that for?" Tony asked rubbing the back of his head.

She looked at him, "Gibbs requested it," she replied, "You heard him."

Gibbs snorted, "I meant for you to fill him in on what Tim just discovered."

"Oh. My bad," Ziva replied unapologetically, before telling Tony about the blood transfusion and explaining the chart to him.

"So what does this mean?" Tony asked.

"That the records were changed," Tim replied, before adding additional information that showed that James Fro was not O positive.

"But how? I mean, you looked into that and didn't find anything, right?"

"Yeah," the younger agent admitted.

"So either your earlier theory was right and your skills were wrong or your skills were right and your theory wrong," Tony summed up. "Which is it McMIT?"

"Ziva," Gibbs said, inclining his head.

Ziva looked at him, not sure what he wanted her to explain to Tony this time. Another nod of his head in Tony's direction gave her the answer.

"Ow! Again?"

"Refrain from saying stupid things and it won't happen again," Gibbs advised.

Tony frowned, "It wasn't stupid, it was a legitimate question. Either the tracks were there and he missed them or he didn't miss them because they don't exist."

"He's got a point, boss," Tim added. "I didn't see any signs of anyone hacking into the system, let alone changing Fro's or anyone else's record."

"But you got in?" Gibbs asked, receiving a nod in reply. "How easy was it? Not necessarily for you," he clarified, "But for your average hacker?"

"They had good protection," Tim admitted. "Definitely a couple of weak spots that made it easier to exploit. I would say _maybe_ the top 7 per cent of hackers would be able to get in if they put some serious effort and time into the attempt."

Gibbs nodded.

"But they definitely changed the record, correct?" Ziva asked. "So if we find out _how_ they did that, it would lead us to _whom_ and why, which should lead us to our killer and the identity of the body downstairs.

"So the question we have to answer is how can they change the record without leaving any trace?" Ziva frustratingly asked, causing both Tim and Gibbs to look at her.

When she finished speaking she looked around at the team and noticed Tim was staring at her, while Gibbs seemed to be on his phone.

"What? It is a legitimate question."

Tim nodded his agreement at her statement. "The easiest way to change a record is to do it from the main computer," Tim answered slowly. It was a legitimate question, one that also had an obvious answer, one he couldn't believe he didn't think of earlier. "No trace could be found because it wasn't a hack," he explained.

"But will we be able to identify who changed the record and when?" Tony asked.

Tim nodded, "Yeah, their system should keep track of who makes what changes and when," Tim informed them. "It's just a matter of getting into their system and taking a look."

"But you couldn't find it earlier," Tony reminded him.

"Because they went through legitimate channels to change it," Tim explained. "It's like a house being robbed. I was looking for obvious signs of break ins, broken door or window, tampered locks, pried open doors or windows,c-"

"I know what the signs of a break in are, Probie," Tony interrupted.

"But if the person who broke in had a key, those signs wouldn't exist, but the house was still robbed, and you can tell this from the signs _inside,_ " Tim concluded patiently. "In this case, the person who changed the records had the key, or at least access to a key, something that left no visible sign of entry. If we can get someone to access to their system, we should be able to get the identify of the login that was used to change Fro's records."

Gibbs nodded as he hung up his phone. "Ziva, get a warrant for us to get access to the AFIS computer," when she looked at Tim, he nodded and grabbed a pen and paper to write down the specific system they needed the warrant to cover. "Tony, background check on all AFIS employees who had access to that computer." Grabbing another piece of paper, Tim wrote down possible job titles or departments those people would have/be in. "Then cross reference their backgrounds with Fro's; I want to know if any of them met him, been in the same spot at the same time, share a barber…something," he growled. "Ziva will help you when she finishes the warrant," he added. "Then do the same with management, after that the rest of the employees, from janitorial staff to support staff and everyone in between."

Tony nodded, "Got it, boss. If anyone looks suspicious, we'll start checking on possible locations of them for yesterday morning, see if we can put them in the area."

Gibbs nodded, "C'mon, Tim, let's go see what you can get from AFIS."

"Boss, that's over a five hour drive," Tim exclaimed, in shock, he hadn't expected that they would be the ones to go. "One way!"

Gibbs started for the elevator, "Who said we were driving?" he asked, as he punched the button to retrieve the car, Tim hurrying to meet up with him, dropping the notes he just wrote on Ziva's desk as he hurried by.

"DiNozzo, behave," Gibbs warned as he stepped into the elevator. "Ziva, try not to kill or hurt him with office supplies," he added as the doors closed.

* * *

"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked as he and Tim settled in for the short flight to Clarksburg, West Virginia. Gibbs had arranged for them to get on a military flight to the local base, where they would be able to borrow a car to get to Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), where AFIS was located.

"Yeah," he reassured the older man. "Just can't believe I didn't think of this earlier," he shared. "Not everything is done in an underhanded way."

Gibbs snorted, "He illegally changed the prints and identity so it would appear Fro faked his death. You can't get much more underhanded than that," Gibbs commented. "The fact that he might have done it by legitimate means does not make it any better."

"Yeah, I guess," Tim reluctantly agreed.

"Hey," Gibbs called, wanting to make sure he had his agent's attention, "Criminals usually do use those ways," he pointed out. "It's a good thing that you thought they might've done it that way, 99 per cent of the time it's true. The fact that you thought they did it at all was good," he added.

Tim shrugged, "Ziva got me onto that notion," he admitted.

"Uh-huh," Gibbs replied, hiding his knowing grin from his companion.

Tim gave a small chortle, "She got me onto this one as well," he added.

"Yep," Gibbs agreed, after all, he witnessed that. "Quite a girl our Ziva."

"Yeah," Tim agreed, falling silent as thoughts of her invaded his mind. They might have only had one official date since they admitted their interest in each other, but already Tim felt that things were going to work out between them. As long as she didn't end up in jail for killing Tony, he thought.

"Everything going all right between the two of you?"

"Yeah," Tim admitted. He would've liked to tell Gibbs that the two had entered a real relationship, but again, with only one official date between them, wondered if that was a bit premature. Perhaps he and Ziva should discuss telling Gibbs about them, after all, Ziva already suspected that he noticed some changes in their relationship, Gibbs could only attribute it to the plan for so long, especially with the plan supposedly ending in less than ten days. "Though I am worried about her and Tony," he admitted.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, silently asking for more information.

"She's been very short with him lately. I think something has happened, but she hasn't told me," he explained.

Jethro nodded, yes, had noticed that as well, which was why he gave the warnings he did as they left. He definitely left the wrong two behind, yet he couldn't really see an alternative.

Just then, Tim's phone beeped. As he took it out to read the text, he grinned, "Got the warrant," he shared.

Gibbs simply nodded before discussing how they will play this once they arrived at AFIS.

* * *

Within an hour of there arrival at AFIS, which occurred shortly after it opened for the day, Tim was on the main computer trying to locate when the records were changed and who did it. Luckily, the person the spoke to at AFIS was appalled that someone had done such a thing and was very willing to help them out, even more so than what was required in connection to the warrant.

"Got it!" Tim announced in triumph and relief. Part of him had worried that once more he was incorrect and had wasted valuable time. But looking once more at the screen in front of him, he knew that wasn't the case. Speaking of cases, "Um, boss?" Tim hesitantly began as he started to document the proof he found.

"Yeah?"

"We should probably contact Vance and tell him what we found so he can contact the FBI director, after all, AFIS is their system. They need to know what happened here."

Gibbs nodded, he had already given Vance a heads up on what they suspected, now that McGee found evidence to support that claim another call was definitely needed.

"Um, do you think that they are going to try to take over the case?"

Gibbs gave him a look, "They always try to take over the case," he responded dryly. "We'll just have to get our suspect into custody and try to close it before they get a chance."

* * *

2-2-19

Yeah, as you can see, I'm not going to have this finished by today (Happy groundhogs day, BTW)

Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate them...

So, after a reading a particular review, I thought of a way to 'end' this story...Ziva attacks Tony with a paperclip, her and Tim's relationship gets put on hold while she carries out her sentence...definitely has possibilities

Thanks also for the well-wishes for my grandmother, she is out of the hospital now, I won't necessarily say she is fine (she's 91, so some health issues are to be expected), but she is doing better :)


	67. Monday Mar 23, Circus Acts (J67)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around, Tony was very relieved to see Tim and Gibbs back in the bullpen since he wasn't sure how much longer he could dodge Ziva's paper clips. After everyone was filled in what happened, both at the yard and in West Virginia, Tony immediately snared Tim to go out with him to grab lunch for everyone.

"I don't think it takes both of us to get lunch," Tim complained again after they placed their order.

"Yeah, well, I told ya, I needed to get away and right now, you're the golden child, so if _we're_ gone a few extra minutes, Gibbs won't say anything."

Tim just shook his head, "Both ideas were because of what Ziva said."

Tony shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, there's no 'I' in team. Besides, after being on two planes and numerous car trips with Gibbs, plus stuck in an office with him, I figured you could use some fresh air."

Tim shrugged, that actually wasn't a bad idea.

"And I wanted to ask you something."

Tim took a deep breath and released it, and there was the catch.

"What is going on with Ziva?" Tony asked, speaking before Tim could say a word.

"What do you mean?" Tim asked as the same time the waitress brought their to go order out.

"I mean, Gibbs wasn't kidding about the paperclips. She has been downright hostile to me. Anytime I open my mouth or lift my head from my desk she's glaring at me. I think she's been acting similar with Abby," he added. "Which," he grimaced, "for my sake is good news since it means I don't have to worry about Ziva contacting Abby to remove all traces of forensic evidence."

Tim smiled at those words, as they brought back his conversation with Ziva from Saturday.

"Oh, god," Tony cried in alarm, "She is planning something isn't she?"

"No that I know of," Tim replied.

Tony eyed him suspiciously, "Would you tell me if she was?"

Tim shrugged, "Depends on what you did and what she had planned," he honestly replied. "If it wasn't too bad and I thought you deserved it, no," was the blunt answer.

Tony stared at Tim in shock. "You really have changed." He couldn't imagine the old McGee allowing a plot of any kind to go on without tying to stop it or warn the parties involved.

"Since you first met me? I would hope so," Tim snorted.

"No, well, yeah," Tony agreed. "But even more recently, since you started seeing her."

Tim shrugged.

"You've become more confident," Tony added. "You're standing up for yourself. It's good to see, finally."

" _Finally?"_

"Well, yeah. I've been trying to get you to do that for years."

Tim snorted, "You don't get someone to become more confident by constantly tearing them down," Tim replied. "I know you've teased me about the self-help CD's I listened to, but some of them had some good points and advice. This quote from Lao Tzu sums it up for me, 'Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage'.

" _She_ believes in me. In what I can do, what I am. She lo-likes me for who and what I am, not for how she can remake me. I know that I can try something, that if I fail, she will be there to support me, to help me back up, not to ridicule me about my attempt, no matter how pathetic it might have been. _That_ is how you build someone up," he explained.

"Fine," Tony admitted, not wanting to get into that topic.

"That might explain the changes in you, but how do you explain the ones in Ziva?" he asked. "I agree that your girl is good for you, but Ziva? I think her new relationship is poisoning her against us."

Tim just chuckled, not believing what he was hearing.

"I'm serious," Tony stated. "We have no idea who this guy is. What if he's part of Mossad? She told Abby that she had known him for a while. What if he's here hoping to lure her back? What better way to do that than to put her against us?"

" _Or,_ " Tim stressed, "Maybe Ziva's eyes have opened up to your actions and she no longer thinks that constantly putting other people down or super-gluing them to their desk is funny. Maybe she cannot believe how inappropriate you can be, especially while at work."

"Inappropriate?" Tony repeated as if that was news to him.

"Who has constantly asked their coworkers about their private lives and romantic relationships?"

Tony waved that away dismissively, "That's just showing interest and concern."

"Who has asked them if they slept with their boyfriend or girlfriend yet?" Tim added, staring at Tony.

Tony shrugged, "She didn't have to answer."

Tim's eyes narrowed, "Would you have accepted it if she didn't? You never do from me?"

"Yeah, but that's you," Tony commented.

"And who, apparently, doesn't feel like it is necessary to even respect their partner?"

"I'll respect them in the morning," Tony replied flippantly, only to be stopped by Tim's glare.

"Really? That's all you have to say? Maybe that, along with everything else I have said is why she is so hostile."

"But I'm worse to you and you're not hostile," Tony defended himself.

"Yes, neither am I threatening to kill you with paperclips, but that is mainly because I do no know how, though I admit that I have been tempted to figure it out, using you as practice," he responded dryly.

"HA!" Tony laughed, before falling silent at the look Tim sent him. "Oh. You're serious."

"I am," Tim stated matter-of-factly.

"But-"

Tim shrugged and began walking again, more than ready to return to the yard. "I have a forgiving nature. I am not a fan of confrontation, of fighting," he admitted, not shocking anyone with this news. "But that does not mean that I don't get angry, that I can't be pushed too far. One of the biggest mistakes you or anyone else could make is confusing my forgiving or gentle nature for that of weakness," he added as they finally reached the navy yard, after all, he and his _father_ hadn't spoken in about a decade, how much easier would it be to cut a coworker out of one's life?

* * *

Even better, than having the whole team together and unharmed was the fact that Gibbs and Tim had brought back a suspect with them. Every member of the team believed that this was their guy, it was just a matter of connecting the dots and getting a confession. As a result, the atmosphere in the buoyant

"Peggy going to be treating you to dinner?" Ziva asked with a smirk, as she typed some notes in preparation of her final case report, hoping she would finally finish it before him. "If we solve this case and get out at a reasonable time, that is," she clarified.

"Maybe," Tim smiled, immediately knowing what she was referring to. "It wasn't planned, but who am I to argue if a beautiful lady wants to buy me dinner?"

"Smooth, Probie," Toy called out, "But why are you wasting a line like that on Ziva?"

"Maybe because he wants to live," Ziva replied, turning to glare at Tony.

"Hey, didn't mean anything by it, just think Tim shouldn't waste his best stuff on his coworkers."

Tim smirked, "Who said that was my best stuff?"

"Oh, ho, he _can_ be taught," Tony said in admiration. "Nice, Probie. If you are like this with her, I have no doubt she will soon agree to be your girlfriend."

Tim groaned and rolled his eyes.

"What? All I'm saying is that you really should talk with her soon. It's been almost two months," he added.

"I know how long I've been seeing her," Tim replied dryly, and one could argue that it had only been a few days, he thought wryly. Of course, that didn't make what he was feeling any less real.

"Two months without a specific commitment of exclusivity, well, let's just say that it's not a good idea."

Tim just shrugged, knowing that after their talk last week, that wasn't really true anymore. He knew that both of them were committed to their relationship and discovering where it lead.

Tony leaned back in his chair, watching Tim and wondering if he was going to say anything. After a few minutes he straightened up in his chair, "I got it!" he exclaimed.

"Whatever you got, I don't want," Abby said with a laugh as she walked into the bullpen. "Maybe you should see Ducky?" she added, with a smirk, Tim and Ziva laughing at the look on Tony's face.

"Oh, yeah, laugh it up, McSingle, I'm only trying to help," Tony said before turning to the forensic scientist.

"And for your information, Abby I just thought of the perfect way for Tim to propos-"

"Propose!?" Abby screeched. "She isn't even his girlfriend, why would he propose? He can't propose, he hasn't even introduced us to her yet."

Tony smirked at her overreaction. "Propose she becomes his girlfriend," he concluded.

Abby looked at him for a moment, "Oh, you mean like a promposal?"

Tim just shook his head, "I don't need to do anythi-" he began,

"Please, Probie," Tony interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "After leaving it in limbo for so long, yes, you do," he stated emphatically. "In fact, the longer this goes on, the more special you should make it. Which is another reason to act sooner rather than later, well, that and so she won't give up on you," Tony added, smirking at Tim. "The two of you often have midweek dates, right?"

"Yes!" Abby answered enthusiastically. "They have a tradition, they order from the same restaurant every week, Wednesday, I believe," she added, remembering the almost weekly charges at the same restaurant, "and bring it back to his place."

"Uh, yeah, what she said," Tim stated when both of them turned to look at him.

Tony grinned, "You should ask her then."

"Um, why then?" He was curious about Tony's reasoning, not that he was actually going to follow the advice.

"Because she probably won't expect you to bring it up during the week," Tony replied. "It will be a surprise to her," he added. "Plus, your first date was during the week, it will make you seem romantic," Tony added rolling his eyes. "Okay, so, I'm thinking this Wednesday will be perfect. Chill some wine, get some flowers, jewelry is always a plus," Tony added.

"Ah, Tony," Tim began, "We hav-"

"Shhh, I'm planning here, Probie," Tony said, waving away all protest. "You can even order from the same restaurant again, though maybe you should set the table properly. Tablecloths, nice china, candles, flowers, the whole works. Hmm, you should get flowers for her as well...or jewelry. All woman like jewelry."

"But, Ton-"

"Yeah, I know," Tony interrupted, rolling his eyes. "She's not that kind of girl."

"Tony, we hav-"

"McGee, do you want my help or not?"

Tim opened his mouth, ready to state that he didn't ask for or need Tony's help when Ziva joined the conversation.

"I believe Tim is trying to tell you that this Wednesday is the quarterly meeting for the investigative teams. We will be lucky if we leave here by 2100."

"Oh, right," Tony sighed in frustration, rethinking things and taking out his phone. "Definitely don't want to be rushed when you do this. Nothing is worse than planning something big only to get caught up at work and having to cancel," he sympathized. "Okay, new plan," he said, clapping his hands "The Wednesday after," he scrunched up his nose, "March has what, 30 days? That will bring us into April…Hmm, I believe that's right around your two month anniversary, making it perfect," he concluded glad that they now had a plan. A few minutes later he started talking again, as another thought came to him, "Hey, Probie, you're a writer, maybe you could say something tacky about a new month, a new step in your relationship?"

Abby snickered.

Tony turned to her and glared, "What? Girls love cheesy stuff like that."

"March has 31 days. That Wednesday is April Fool's Day," she reminded him, causing him to double check the calendar. " _Girls_ ," she mocked, "Usually don't like it when men plan big things on that day."

"Hmm, she's right," Tony reluctantly agreed.

"I usually am," Abby commented with a satisfied grin.

"Ziva, what do you think?" Tony asked, causing all eyes to turn to her.

Ziva looked around the room at all of them before she spoke. She had purposely stayed out of the conversation, only speaking up when Tony would not let Tim talk about the quarterly meeting. Now, however, they had all focused their attention on her. She did not want to ignore the question and have Tim wonder what it might mean. "If she knows Tim at all, she would know that he would not do such a thing as a joke; that he would only do or say such things because he means them with all his heart. Since he has not done so, perhaps it is because he is not at yet at that point, or he is waiting for some self-imposed deadline to pass," she finally stated, looking at Tim. "Regardless, I do not believe that the day or date matters, nor how it happens, but perhaps it is time for him to admit exactly what he is thinking and feeling," she concluded, looking at Tim, her heart beating heavily against her chest when his eyes met hers and he smiled at her.

"See," Tony gloated, "Even the girls agree with me," he continued, though both Tim and Ziva seemed to tune him out, as they spent a few more minutes staring at each other before looking away and returning their attention to the papers on their desk. After another ten minutes of Tony talking about the proposal and how it could be good practice for Tim, since that could be where his relationship was heading, the SFA turned to Abby, asking her why she was upstairs.

* * *

"She lives in his building," Abby informed Tony the minute he entered the lab, her voice filled with disbelief. "That's why his GPS never showed him being anywhere else or why there wasn't any phone records. He probably didn't call her that often if she was only a couple of floors away, no doubt he would just pop down to ask her something, it would make a good excuse to see her if nothing else."

"I know," Tony admitted.

"It also explains how things got so serious so soon," she continued, not paying attention to Tony's words. "Being in such close proximity to one another, they probably spent time together every ni-ight," she dragged out the last word as something hit her. "Now it all makes sense," she muttered. "Tim mentioned that most of their dates were friendly type dates. If they live in the same building, they were probably akin to hanging out."

Tony nodded, understanding her point, "Yeah, I know. I can't believe we didn't even think of it before."

"Wait," Abby ordered, turning to glare at him, "What do you mean _you know_?"

Tony shrugged, "I knew she lived in the building the same way I learned her name."

"And how was that?"

Tony shrugged, "After I saw them head back in I waited outside for a bit. Wasn't much longer after that when I saw her leave the building. I accidentally ran into her, apologized, introduced myself, helped to pick up her belongings and carried them to her car. It was the least I could do," he added with a charming smile, causing Abby to roll her eyes. "Anyway, I noticed that she was parked in a tenant space, with a tenant sticker on her windshield."

Abby shook her head, "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"I didn't have time to tell you much," he reminded her.

"So what else do you know?"

"She has at least one kid," Tony admitted.

"Oh my god!" Abby cried, "Tim's going to be a dad!"

"Shhh," Tony cautioned. "We can't let on that we know."

She nodded, grinning widely. "I guess it makes sense for them to take it slow if she has kids. Oh! Do you think they met because of the kids? Is one of them in scouts?"

Tony paused and thought about that, "I don't know. What is the age for scouts anyway?"

Abby just shrugged, not sure herself. "What else do you know?"

"Just that she works from home, but I'm not exactly sure what she does," Tony replied.

"That's it?"

He looked at her, "Uh, yeah, been a bit involved in a case, remember."

"What are you two doing?" Gibbs asked as he entered.

"Uh, just talking about how involved we've been on this case, boss," Tony replied. "It was definitely a strange one."

"Uh-huh."

"What brings you down here?" Abby asked. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, because I always am. I'm always glad to see you," she added. "I'm not running any tests for you, so you couldn't have sensed I had results."

Gibbs looked between the two of them, "I heard you were looking for me."

"I don't think so," Abby replied with a frown. "Who'd ya hear that from? Maybe they got things wrong?"

Gibbs just shook his head, not answering.

"Oh! I did go up to the bullpen earlier," she admitted, a few minutes later. "But I just had a question for Tony."

"I see."

Tony frowned at his tone, "Anything wrong, boss?"

Gibbs just shook his head, as he walked away, his gut telling him that those two were up to something. He just hoped it didn't coincide with the something his gut had been telling him was coming all weekend.

* * *

"Hey, Timothy," Ziva called from her desk.

"Yes, Ziva?" Tim asked, looking up from his computer screen. "Do you need help with something?"

"No, I just wanted to let you know that I was almost done with my report," she stated smugly. The case had been officially closed, with their suspect confessing that he did it all for love. Apparently he had known Fro's wife before she was married, and had an unrequited crush on her. After Fro died, he renewed his acquaintance with her, becoming a close friend. When she confessed that she was still deeply in love with her husband and probably always would be, he came up with a plan to discredit Fro's, thinking it would help his widow move on.

"As am I," he returned.

"Really?" Tony injected in disbelief. "Both of you? I'm not even close to being done," he whined as he began typing faster.

Tim and Ziva exchanged knowing smiles before returning their attention to their own reports.

"Timothy, I have given more thought to Tony's idea from yesterday," she began, continuing when she saw that she had both men's attention. "I saw an advertisement that the circus was going to be in town this coming weekend." she stated, hoping to distract him with that information.

"It is?" Tim replied in surprise, his hands pausing over the keyboard.

"Yes, and I remembered us discussing how much we both enjoyed it," she reminded him. "And we have the weekend off. I was able to get some tickets, if you are interested?"

Tony looked between the two of them, "The two of you, Peggy, and guy in tights?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," Tim replied to Ziva's question. "I'm interested."

"Do you think you could get two more tickets?" Tony asked Ziva. "Maybe I can join you guys."

Ziva frowned as she turned towards Tony, "Were you not the one who said he did not like the circus?"

"I didn't say I didn't like it," he protested.

Tim's eyebrow rose at Tony's words, "No, just compared those who said they did with four year olds," he stated in a snarky tone.

"Okay, so maybe it's not my favorite thing to do," he reluctantly admitted, "But I'm sure it would've been fun, especially with a group of us."

"I am sorry. I did not see any more seats near ours," Ziva commented.

"Oh."

* * *

2-3-19


	68. Monday Mar 23, The Beginning(J68)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies.

Okay, so I'm kinda doing something I hate...writing the same scene from a different characters perspective. However, I tried to do it without including the entire scene...in fact, I really didn't include much of it, just referenced it. I wanted you guys to know what that character was thinking and feeling during that scene, and since that character wasn't directly involved, and the other characters did not know he/she was there, it was harder to do within the scene itself (felt awkward to just drop in a line or two about this character in the midst of the original dialogue. Hope you guys like it and can follow along with what happened.

* * *

"So, Probie, what happened to your car yesterday?" Tony suddenly asked, earning a glaring look from Ziva who was quietly sitting at her desk.

"Huh?" Tim questioned in confusion, wondering what made his partner think something was wrong. "What do you mean? Nothing is wrong with it."

He shrugged, "It's just that when you left the crime scene yesterday you had to borrow Ziva's wheels. I know you were already at the park, but I'm sure you didn't walk there. I was wondering if you gave your date the Porsche to drive home."

Tim just looked at Tony curiously. "Why does that even matter to you?" he asked, his tone still puzzled. Still, he decided to answer, since he suspected Tony wouldn't drop the subject until he did so. "If you have to know, no, she did not drive my car home. We took her car that morning. Of course, even if we hadn't, then, of course I would have let her drive mine rather than taking a bus or a cab home."

"Oh, well, that's good," Tony replied. "Er, that you didn't bring your car, I mean. Who know what the ki-what she might've put in your car once she had possession of it," he concluded.

"Whatever," Tim said, shaking his head, not even wanting to know what Tony was referring to. Of course, knowing Tony, he was probably trying to insinuate that 'Peggy' was running drugs or would fence stolen property from his car. He exchanged a quick look with Ziva, both of them rolling their eyes.

Part of Tim really couldn't wait until his relationship with Ziva was public, just so he could remind Tony of all the negative things he said or implied about 'Peggy'.

Tim felt as if a lightbulb was flashing over his head. That might be why Ziva was acting so hostile towards Tony, if she was taking all of his comments about 'Peggy' personally.

A few minutes later Gibbs walked through the bullpen, telling them that he was going up to the director's office and that they were to remain in the building until he dismissed them for the evening.

* * *

Over a half hour later, Gibbs was still in the director's office, Tim was just about to finish with his emails, Ziva was working quietly at her desk, and Tony was speculating on what was going on upstairs.

"So, do you think Gibbs forgot about us and left directly from the elevator?" Tony asked his coworkers. "Or perhaps Vance is 'talking' to him about taking a field trip to an FBI facility without informing him first, let alone not mentioning it to the FBI?"

Tim just shrugged, trying to finish reading his new emails before he started cleaning out his inbox.

"We saw the FBI Director storm in and up there a few hours before you returned. If he was a cartoon character, you definitely would've seen steam coming out of his ears," Tony added with a laugh.

"If he was a cartoon character, would we not all be cartoon characters?" Ziva asked logically.

"Hmm, you got a point, there," Tony agreed as he thought more about it. "He definitely would've tried to arrange for a piano or anvil to be dropped on Vance and Gibbs…possibly you too, Probie. Of course, as cartoon characters we would quickly recover. We would then retaliate by pulling out a giant hammer and smashing them with it. Or perhaps send a package that would blow up in his face."

Ziva just looked at him, "And these are shows for _children_?" she questioned in astonishment. "I really do not understand this country," she muttered before standing up and walking away without another word to either teammate.

"Seriously," Tony asked after he confirmed that she was out of sight and earshot, "What is her problem?"

Tim didn't bother answering. If Tony didn't learn anything from what he said earlier, Tim doubted that repeating it would do any good.

After checking the stairs to make sure Gibbs wasn't on his way back, he turned back to Tim now that they were alone in the bullpen. "So when is this circus date?" Tony asked.

"This weekend," Tim reminded Tony, "You were there when she mentioned it."

"I know that much," Tony commented with a roll of his eyes. "I was asking about the specific day and time."

"Oh. I don't know that yet, haven't talked to Ziva to get the details," Tim replied, seemingly not really concerned about it. "I figured we would talk about it when she gives me a ride home."

"But how are you going to ask S-Peggy if you don't have those? What if she has the ki-something planned already and can't make it, or just doesn't want to because of a fear of clowns or something?"

Tim smiled, trying to imagine Ziva afraid of clowns. "She knows my schedule and that I am off this weekend. I am sure she'll be available and will be there. Besides, I'll get them on the way home. It's not like I can really talk to her, er, Peggy," he said rolling his eyes, "about it while we are working."

Tony just shook his head, "Well, even if you can't make the circus perhaps you can meet up with Ziva for dinner. Hey!" he said suddenly as if this idea just came to him. " _I_ can meet all of you for dinner before the circus as well, or after if you attend the matinee performance," he added.

"I…I don't know about that," Tim stated hesitantly.

"Why not?" Tony asked. "C'mon Probie, it's just a dinner between friends."

Tim remained silent as he thought about Tony's offer. It could be a good opportunity to inform Tony about them, he realized, especially since it would happen away from the office. And if the tickets were for Saturday, it would give the older man the rest of the week to deal with it before they all returned to work on Monday.

"So, Probie, is that a yes?"

"No,"

"What? You can't seriously be saying no," Tony exclaimed.

"I'm not," he denied.

"I'm not hearing a yes, either," Tony replied. "You're not saying yes, but you're not saying no? So what is this is a definite maybe?" Tony asked derisively.

"Look, Ziva bought the tickets and arranged the date, I am not going to go around and agree to meet other people, people she did think of including," Tim pointed out, not to be mean, but, well, it did appear to be true. "I am not going to add to her plans for that evening without talking with her about it first."

"C'mon, Probie. It's just a dinner date. Take control of your life and make a decision," Tony snapped.

"Ah, but it's not just my life or hers," Tim retorted. "After all, you want me to include you in dinner plans with someone that even you admitted has been acting hostile to you. Dinner," he reminded his coworker, "someplace that would have really sharp knives, and we both know how talented and creative Ziva could be with a knife," he added pointedly.

Tony froze at those words, "Ah, well, we'll be fine by next weekend," he said, trying to sound confident of that fact.

"Oh? You taking the rest of the week off to give us a vacation?" Tim asked snidely, getting tired of this conversation, however there was no way he was going to give in to Tony and tell him what he wanted to hear.

"What? No," he replied, taken aback by Tim's question. "I just meant that this is probably due to her hormone's or something," he said dismissively. "It's been going on for about a week, so should end soon," he added knowingly.

"That is what you think?"

Heads swiveled at the sound of the new voice tinged with fury. More than one person automatically moved back, making sure to be out of the line of fire.

"Ziva," Tim began, trying to call her down, as he stepped in between his two teammates. "It's not w-"

"No," she snapped. She had heard most of the conversation and appreciated Tim not backing down and slamming Tony in return with his remark about a vacation from him. She also decided that she might as well take this opportunity to blow off some steam before Tim had her calmed down and ushered out of the room before she even knew it had happened. "I have had enough of this clueless, boorish, brainless imbecile."

"Hey!" Tony shouted in protest. "You can-"

"Tony, shut up," Tim warned, keeping his attention on Ziva. There was no way he could get Ziva out of her if Tony continued to talk.

"Why? Is little Timmy upset because the grown-ups are fighting? Is he going to go hide under his bed like a scared little baby?"

Tim just looked at Tony before glancing over at Ziva. He promised Ziva that he would be on her side, would always have her six and he meant it. He had also told Tony that depending on what he did or what Ziva had planned, he might not interfere, and while he might not know what she had planned, he did know that Tony deserved whatever Ziva did. Though he had a feeling this was unplanned and even Ziva didn't know what she was about to do. At least there did not seem to be any paperclips in her immediate vicinity, Tim reassured himself.

"Fine. Go at it," Tim capitulated, holding up his hands in surrender and backing away, leaving the two to face one another. "I'll be here under the bed," he mocked, as he moved to lean against his desk. He briefly wondered if he should call Ducky to be on hand in case Ziva's knives made an appearance.

"Yeah, stay out of the way like a good, Probie," Tony snapped. "Ziva doesn't need you to protect her, good thing, 'cause apparently you walk away at the first sign of confrontation."

Tim just shook his head, since it was actually _him_ he was trying to protect. Yeah, no call to Ducky, he decided. If Tony got hurt, he could deal with the pain for the amount of time it took for help to arrive.

* * *

Gibbs had left the Director's office and had been returning to the bullpen, when he heard the voices of two of his team members. He paused out of sight to listen and find out what was going on. He was relieved to hear that he did not need to interfere. Yes, Tony was being annoying, but Tim was handling things just fine. Besides, the younger agent had asked him not to step in, so he remained on the outskirts, just listening and waiting in case a line had been crossed.

He shook his head as Tony's words reached his ears, ' _probably due to her hormone's or something'_. That was definitely crossing the line. Tony's only saving grace was that Ziva hadn't heard it. A second later he was groaning as Ziva's voice joined their conversation.

Before he could say or do something, someone else took action. He felt relieved when Tim spoke trying to calm Ziva down. He knew that if anyone could get this to end without blood shed, it would be Tim. His relaxed and easy-going manner would help calm Ziva down and get her away.

He rolled his eyes as Ziva took advantage of the confrontation to lash out at Tony. Hopefully Tim could get her to calm down now that she had her outburst. Of course that also relied on Tony being able to keep his mouth shut.

Something Gibbs should've known he couldn't rely on. Tony started to protest to her comments and then refused to listen to Tim's advice but instead verbally attacked him.

He almost cringed when Tim stepped away, tearing down that last wall of hope that this wouldn't end in blood shed.

And unsurprisingly, Tony still couldn't let it go. He had to make additional comments about Tim. Gibbs had shaken his head as Tony talked, he himself had recently learned how protective Ziva could be about the youngest male agent. And he picked the one topic that was guaranteed to rile Ziva up even more.

Once more he debated whether or not to step in. If he did so it would only be to protected Ziva from jail for attacking Tony, to save Tony from a trip to the hospital, and to keep Tim from feeling guilty for stepping back and letting it happen. Then again, Tim might be onto something, he thought. This has been a long time coming, ending it now would only be putting it off until a later time. At least if they got this out of the way today, it would not interfere with an active case and everyone could take the evening to calm down. He nodded as he came to a decision and remained in place, once more just listening and waiting, ready to step in to both the conversation and the bullpen if it became necessary.

He wondered if he should try to contact Ducky and have him come up with his bag, just in case.

* * *

2-3-19

Another bonus chapter...and another cliffhanger?

Hope you like it...Feel free to review, would love to know what you are thinking

Should we call Ducky up to be on hand?

What do you think will happen next?

BTW, the next chapter '...of the End?' Contains Ziva and Tony 'talking'. That scene alone is about 1500 words.

Originally I had both of these together and it was named 'Implode'

This would've been up much sooner, but I got distracted by the bowls (Kitty & Super) and the commercials :)


	69. Monday Mar 23, Of the End? (J69)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"What is your problem, Tony" Ziva hissed. "Tim has been nothing but nice and supportive of you, even trying to help you and you turn around and attack him. He has done _nothing_ to warrant your anger. The only thing he's guilty of is not retaliating or reporting you for all your juvenile and invasive acts."

"Because he knows it's only done in fun, and he'll be laughed at for not being able to handle it," Tony replied, surprised that Ziva was yelling at him about _Probie_.

"How can you be so clueless? Or is it just jealousy because he played a major part in solving the crazy case we just had?"

Tony snorted, "As if. Even Probie admitted that it was because of things you said. You had more of a hand in it than him."

Ziva just shook her head before continuing, "You constantly insult him, bully him, and abuse him. He went through that as a kid and first chance he got he got himself away from that situation and his tormentors. Is that what you want to happen here? Because that is what you are, unintentionally, I hope," she added, "driving him towards, and I for one wouldn't blame him and might even join him!"

Tim froze at her words, he hadn't suspected that _he_ would be part of their confrontation. As he told Ziva, he had come to term with Tony's actions. While he didn't appreciate what the older man said or did, he no longer gave it the power to hurt him. He was also surprised to hear that if he left, she might as well, that she was thinking about joining him.

He was about to speak up, to remind Ziva of the fact that he wasn't concerned about what Tony said or did to him when she continued.

"Your lack of respect for you coworkers is indescribable. Not only do you pester them about things that are none of your business or concern, but you abuse the trust that they placed in you."

"What? How?"

"How about all the times you've broken into his apartment to snoop? The times you foraged around his desk for new material to tease him with? The times you went through his e-mail and computers? The times you have tricked him into throwing away his lunch?"

"Puh-lease," Tony drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Claire."

That single word had most of the bullpen frozen.

"Is it any wonder that he often thinks about leaving this team? You had _intentionally_ set him up to take a hard fall," Ziva continued, her voice scathing.

"Hey! I'm just one person, you can't pin all of it on me," he protested. "If he's thought about leaving tgw _team_ , its not just because of me."

"We have all played a part," she admitted. "You, Abby, Gibbs, myself. The difference is that some of realized what we were doing and have tried to change our behavior. But you," she paused and shook her head. "I do not understand how could someone do that to a partner, a teammate? You often say that it was done out of concern, out of friendship. You definitely do not treat a friend that way."

"Hey, we're friends," Tony protested.

"If you were friends you would not have to pester him for information. Friends willingly share their lives with each other. Friends know that there are boundaries and respect them. Letting their friend, bring up those tabooed subjects if they want.

" _You_ are not his friend, since you do none of that. No topic is off limits to you, even or perhaps as he once said, _especially_ if he said he did not want to talk about it.

"You really think he considers you his friend? After all your stunts, the times you have broken his trust and confidence, you really think Tim thinks he can count and depend on you? No one needs a friend like you," she added. "Except maybe Abby. I think the two of you deserve each other."

Tim's eyes narrowed at those words. Tony had mentioned she was acting hostile towards Abby as well, was he about to find out why?

Gibbs froze at the mention of the forensic scientist. What did she have to do with this?

"Hey, you're problem is with me, leave Abby out of this," Tony directed.

"Like you left Tim out of this?"

"Abby can defend herself," Tony replied, unintentionally implying that Tim couldn't. Of course, as Ziva had mentioned, Tim hadn't done anything that needed to be defended.

"Really?" She asked doubtfully. "Then bring her up here. I want to know how the two of you can defend yourself about your recent actions."

"What actions?" Tim asked before anyone else could speak. He wasn't sure if Ziva had actually heard his question or was just continuing from where she left off earlier.

"As if coming up with cockamamie theories about Tim's girlfriend wasn't enough, the two of you decided that you needed to break them up for some reason." Caught up in her telling, she did not notice the look of devastation on Tim's face that her words had caused.

"Of course in order to do that, you had to find out who she was, so the two of you decided to ' _investigate_ ' the case. You followed him around and staked out his building a few times. Abby pulled the GPS records from his phone and car in an attempt to track down where he has been and where she might live. She pulled his cell phone call log as well, though apparently _not_ the texting one," she admitted. "She has also pulled his credit card records to see where he has been."

"Wednesdays," Tim muttered. He had wondered how Abby had known that Wednesday was there traditional night for the kitchen sink. He didn't remember adding in that detail, but figured it must've slipped out while they were talking.

"St. Patrick's Day, when you _knew_ he planned on cooking dinner for her, you had your car 'conveniently' break down by his building and your phone 'dead'. You went to his apartment, hoping to finagle an introduction to his girlfriend while you used his phone and waited for the auto club to appear. When no one answered his door, you broke in and snooped around."

Her words caused Tim's jaw to drop open as he stared at his teammates in shock. He couldn't believe that that had really happened, though it did explain why Tony pressed so much about his plans the next day if the older man knew his apartment was empty. He couldn't help but notice that Tony didn't even try to deny any of this either.

"This past weekend, once again, you staked out his apartment, taking pictures when you saw him walking with someone and Jethro. You later, purposely," she added, "ran into her to try to get some information about her. You then shared the pictures you took of Tim and this mystery girl with Abby and myself, along with what little you knew. You and Abby both ran some additional searches on her trying to discover more information regarding her life."

Ziva paused as she tried to remember and focus on all the conversations she had heard between Tony and Abby this last week. With the exception of following Tony to the lab when he dropped off the evidence, all of them had been accidental, and she refused to feel guilty about them.

As she took a deep breath in preparation of yelling at Tony some more, she suddenly seemed to realize exactly what she had done and where. She quickly glanced around to see how bad the damage was. Her eyes immediately went to the cat walk and she was relieved to notice that it appeared empty and that the director had not witness her 'conversation' with Tony. Her eyes then drifted down the stairs and around the elevator where she saw Gibbs staring at her. She forced herself not to cringe as she took in the rest of the room. A few agents were staring at them, mouths wide open. No doubt due to the combination of her antics as well as the facts it contained.

Timothy, she couldn't repress the cringe that occurred when she saw him. The look on his face, his stiff posture, his eyes…She opened her mouth to speak.

Tim just shook his head, his face now frozen, not revealing anything, but his eyes confirming that he wasn't okay with all that had happened. "We need to focus on the case," he said, searching his desk for a file, something to distract them.

"Probie, there is no case," Tony stated softly. His voice might have been sounded gentle to others, but to Tim, it was mocking.

"How could you?" he hissed, turning and glaring at the senior agent, no longer able to avoid or suppress what he was feeling. "I might not have considered you a _friend_ , but I didn't think you would purposely try to sabotage my life, Iraq aside," he added, causing Tony to flinch.

"I-"

"No," Tim interrupted firmly. "I do not want to hear anything you have to say. I don't want to hear you, see, you, speak to you, nothing," Tim said before turning around to stare at his desk, leaving Tony to stare at him, a look of devastation on his face.

"Tim…" Ziva hesitatingly began, not sure what to say or even if he wanted to hear it.

"How long?" he asked bitterly as he spun to face her. "How long did you know that all of this was going on? Why didn't you say anything? God, not only did you _know_ and not say anything, you also shared things that I _never_ wanted Tony to know about. I honestly do not know which is worse," he confessed before pacing the bullpen. "You knew and you didn't say anything," he repeated as he face her once again, this time much quieter, before turning around and storming out of the bullpen.

She would have preferred if he had yelled those words. At least then she would know what he was feeling, that he was mad. By speaking them so quietly, she had a feeling that he was feeling more betrayed than angry, at least with her, and that was something that she suspected he would find harder to forgive.

Gibbs glared at both of his agents that were left in the room. "Sit at your desks. Do. Not. Move." He ordered them before turning his gaze to look at the few agents that were still in the bullpen. "Do. Not. Say. A. Word." This last order directed at not only his team, but to everyone who witnessed that scene. With a scathing glare at his agents, he turned and exited the bullpen to try to find Tim, contacting Ducky on the way, hoping he was still in the building and could help.

* * *

"C'mon, Tim, I'll take you home," Gibbs offered. He had found his agent sequestered away in conference room three. He must have looked into that room a dozen times while hunting for McGee, but it wasn't until he actually stepped into the room and looked around that he saw the young agent sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the legs of the table.

"I…yeah," Tim verbally agreed, not opening his eyes or moving in any way to make that happen. "Um, I can take a bus or cab or something," he offered.

"Nope, not tonight," Gibbs informed the distraught man. "Wait here. I'll send everyone else home then we can grab your stuff and get out of here."

"Okay…yeah," he agreed, almost echoing his earlier reply. No doubt still dazed by what had occurred. He did not notice the concerned look Gibbs shot in his direction or the fact that the older man had left, as he remained where he was, eyes closed, face turned away from the door.

* * *

"Go home," he ordered harshly as he reentered the bullpen. His agents just looked up at him in shock. "Now!" he shouted when they hadn't moved.

"But Tim…"

"Boss,"

"Ducky and I will take care of Tim," he interrupted. "Including giving him a ride home. The two of you are to stay away from him."

"But-"

"No." Gibbs refused firmly, not even caring about what they had to say. "Go home. Do not speak of this to _anyone_. Do not attempt to contact Tim in any way. Do not-"

"Pass go and collect $200," Tony muttered, as he started to gather his bags, receiving the point. Noticing the silence, he looked up to find Gibbs glaring at him, a look in his eyes that Tony had never seen before and couldn't even begin to decipher. In all honesty, that hurt more than a head slap ever could, he realized, stopping himself from emitting a sigh. Who knew how Gibbs would react if he thought he was complaining.

Silently and under Gibbs's watching eyes, the two agents packed the rest of their gear and prepared to leave. It was only after the two were gone, one by way of the stairs, the other via elevator, that Gibbs closed his eyes and took a deep breath that he slowly exhaled. He had no idea what the consequences of this night would be and that worried him.

The confrontation between Tony and Ziva surprised him. The fact that Tony had barely spoken a word during their 'discussion' was unusual. That Ziva hadn't made any threats against Tony's well-being, was the most surprising. No paperclips, knives, or ninja moves were involved. Which made for a living Tony. Unfortunately, Ziva's weapon of choice this evening had been truth and secrets, which had the power to tear apart the entire team and more one agent in particular.

* * *

2-4-19

Well, there you have it, the beginning of the end? What will this mean for the team? For Tim and Ziva's relationship, for the feelings that tehy had for each other that they had just begun to admit and realize?

I know...Ziva's reaction was not what you were expecting, well, Tim didn't expect that either. No doubt he would prefer a bloody Tony to what he's feeling right now...I did think about it, Ziva breaking out the knives or paperclips, but, well, I'ma lover not a fighter, I guess, not sure how well I would do on a scene like that. Hope this meets with your approval even if it isn't what you expected.


	70. Monday Mar 23, The End of Monday (J70)

Not Beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Timothy, how are you?" Duck finally asked, his voice filled with concern. He had entered the room only a few minutes before after rushing there once he received the call from Jethro that he had located his young agent. He had spent a few moments observing Timothy before entering the room. A few additional moments was spent waiting for the young man to realize someone else was present before he finally spoke.

To say Ducky was not happy about what had happened was an understatement. He had always expected that one day the team would implode; he just didn't anticipate that Ziva would be the trigger. What was not surprising was the fact that Timothy took most of the damage.

Not receiving an answer, he stepped a little bit closer, not wanting to startle his young friend. "Timothy?" he began quietly.

"I'm fine, everything is fine," Tim replied in a monotone voice, as if repeating a personal mantra.

Gibbs returned to the conference room in time to hear those words, and gently nudged Ducky closer.

"You will be," Ducky promised as he approached the young man and knelt down beside him. "We'll help you through this," he reassured Tim.

Tim snorted, the first honest sign of emotion Ducky had seen in him since he entered the room, "Don't know if I want to get through this," he admitted softly.

"C'mon, Tim, let's get you up," Gibbs said after he and Ducky exchanged worrying glances.

"I'm fine here," Tim reassured him, absently patting the floor, his eyes closed, "It's quite comfortable."

"You might be," Gibbs observed, "But I don't think Ducky is," he added.

"What?" Tim asked, finally opening his eyes and seeing where he was and who was with him. "Oh, of course. Let's get up," he agreed, immediately standing up before proceeding to help the Medical Examiner get up.

After moving to the chairs around the conference table, Ducky did a quick work up on McGee. Once finished, Tim remained at the table while Ducky and Gibbs moved right outside the door to talk.

"A bit of shock," he told Gibbs, neither one surprised at the diagnosis. "But I believe he is already recovering. I suggest stopping on the way home for a good meal," he suggested, " _Not_ a fast food drive thru," he pointedly added. "After that, Timothy should be fine to be by himself for the remainder of the evening."

"You sure, Duck?" Gibbs asked, debating whether or not he should take Tim to his place for the night just to be sure.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Ducky nodded. "I know you like to have your chicks close to the roost when something happens to one of them, however, I have no doubt that he would feel more comfortable at his own place, in his own bed than he would anywhere else."

Gibbs rolled his eyes at his friends commentary, but accepted the doctor's advice. "I just don't want him to feel like he's been abandoned."

"I understand," Ducky sympathized, "But Timothy would feel more anxious and embarrassed that you felt you had to stay with him. The last thing he wants to be is a burden to others and that is how he would feel."

A nod from Gibbs showed Ducky that he made his point.

"If by chance he does not come in to work tomorrow, either myself or Mr. Palmer will check on him to find out what is going on," he added.

"If he doesn't come in to work tomorrow, I'll be going with you to check on him," he corrected.

Ducky inclined his head in agreement. "And what are you going to say about what happened?"

"That it shouldn't have," Gibbs immediately snapped in reply.

"Jethro," Ducky began, giving the man a cold look, "Timothy does not need your anger."

"Hell, Duck, I'm not angry at _him_ ," he clarified. "I'm not really that angry at Ziva either. Her anger I understand, though I'm sure both she and I wished she had expressed it at a different time and place as well as in a different manner."

"She was just defending her partner," Ducky murmured softly.

Gibbs shot him a quick glance, the way he said that made him wonder what Ducky knew. "It's DiNozzo and Abby that I'm having issues with. I _told_ them to leave Tim alone, to stay out of his life and his personal relationships. Hell, I even warned them about consequences," he admitted.

Ducky nodded. "And what are you going to do about those two?"

Gibbs sighed, that was the question. Tony he had some control over, as his boss. Abby, however reported to the Director. Gibbs was pretty sure that Vance did not know about this since his phone has not yet rung.

"Not sure what I can do," Gibbs admitted. "I am not condoning what they did. Far from it," Gibbs informed his old friend. "If it was up to me, I would throw the book at them, perhaps a few lamps as well," he added. "If you have proof, by all means, go through the official channels and have it put on their records, but without evidence…" Gibbs voice trailed off. "Right now, this is all based on hearsay. We have no proof or evidence that anything happened, and us looking for that evidence, well, we'll be doing something very similar to what Tony and Abby were doing. It will be Tim's call how he handles this, if he files a complaint to launch an investigation."

"I see," Ducky replied, peering around to check on Timothy.

"I can, however," Gibbs added, giving a rare grin, " _Say_ a lot about what happened."

"I see," Ducky repeated, his tone happier knowing that Tony and Abby, and even Ziva, will not get away completely unscathed.

"What do you think Tim will do?" Gibbs asked.

"I honestly cannot tell you," Ducky replied. "The old Timothy from three months ago would not have said anything. He would have forgiven everyone involved, even if they did not ask him to. And he would never bring it up again, even as it festered inside of him," Ducky added. "This Timothy," he shrugged. "Not only is he a new entity to us, but to himself as well, one he is just learning about."

"What are the most likely options?" Gibbs asked. "Best guess."

"I really am unsure," Ducky repeated. "However, I suspect it will come down to a couple of scenarios, including the one previously mentioned. After processing everything, what _all_ his teammates and coworkers have done, he could very well walk completely away from NCIS and each of us, disappearing without another word. Or at the very least, leave the team, perhaps keeping in touch with a few select members, myself hopefully, perhaps Mr. Palmer."

"Me?" Gibbs asked.

Ducky shrugged, not wanting to give false hope, "That could depend on what you say and do now regarding this situation."

Gibbs nodded, another reason why he did not want Timothy to fee abandoned. "And Ziva?"

"What will she do?" Ducky asked, looking for clarification of his question.

"No, what will McGee do about her, about their relationship," he explained.

"Ah, so you do know," Ducky commented, smiling that his suspicions had been confirmed.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "It's complicated."

Ducky snickered, "So I heard. Oh," he clarified at Jethro's look of surprise, "Not the specifics of the complication, just that both parties involved used the same word to describe their relationship without revealing the identity of their partner or the details involved."

Gibbs nodded. Ducky figuring out that they were in a relationship gave credence that it had most likely gone beyond prank stage.

"Depends on how much he really believes in their relationship," Ducky finally answered. "The course of true love never did run smooth and Timothy will have to decide _why_ Ziva said what she did, and whether their relationship is worth working through whatever he may be feeling because of her words and actions. I am really not qualified to guess what might happen to the two of them," he firmly stated.

"And his other options?"

"Ziva has been good for Timothy," Ducky began. "She has helped him to see that he is worth more than he thought. That he could, _should_ be valued for what he brings to table, so to speak. That he does not have to just roll over or let everything slide off his back. He can and should fight for himself, for the respect he deserves. He might very well decide to file a grievance against Tony and Abby and launches an investigation, from there, as you know, what happens could be out of his hands."

Once more Gibbs nodded. He could see the benefits of Tim filing a formal complaint, the only problem with that, is Internal Affairs would become involved and whatever they decided would be the final word. Tony and Abby could face anything from suspension with or without pay, retraining, demotion, or even termination. IA might also hold Ziva accountable for her part of it, and since she is technically not an NCIS employee, but here on a work visa, she could face deportation. He wasn't over looking his own involvement in this either. He might not have known what was going on, but as direct supervisor to everyone but Abby, IA could very well find him at fault for not doing his job properly, for allowing things to get so out of control. Something he was determined to change if they survived this, Gibbs promised himself.

He also had a feeling that if a member of the team lost their job over this, Tim would find the guilt unbearable. They just had to find a way to make sure that this was dealt with, as a team, without Tim or anyone else falling on their sword.

"I will tell you this," Ducky cautioned. "You must let Timothy make the decisions about what happens next. The worst thing you could do is to pretend you never heard any of this, that it never happened. If _you_ treat this as unimportant, you will most likely be cementing the idea in his mind that he is not valued or important to this team. Likewise if you allow Anthony or Abigail to pressure him into not filing a complaint, he will believe that you care more for them than you do him, that he is not as important. _That_ could be what makes him choose what path to follow, and it is a path that most likely will lead him away from us."

Gibbs remained silent as he processed what Ducky had said. Not having anything else ot say on the subject, the two men got Tim moving. It wasn't much later that Gibbs and Tim were safely ensconced in Gibb's car.

"Join us for dinner?" Gibbs asked the older man, who gladly accepted, promising to meet them at the diner.

* * *

They had just place their ordered when Gibbs's phone rang, taking it out, he paused when he read Ziva's name on the caller ID. Mouthing her name to Ducky, he inclined his head towards Tim. Ducky nodded and shooed him away.

"Gibbs," he stated as he answered the phone, proceeding to the diner's door to get some privacy.

"Where are you?"

"Ziva,"

"I just want to know if you will be at Tim's apartment soon," she tried to explain.

"Why?"

"Because if Tim is still very upset and distracted, I do not think it is a good idea for him to walk Jethro. Anything could happen if he is not focused. We are talking about an 80 pound dog here."

"And?" Gibbs asked, knowing she had something in mind.

"And if you were not going to be here in the next twenty minutes, I was going to take him out, otherwise I would see if I could contact his new dog walker, though I do not have her number," she admitted.

"Go," he ordered. "Walk Jethro, but do not leave any notes or trace that you were at his apartment tonight."

"I won't" she promised, before hanging up.

"Anything wrong?" Ducky asked

"Nope," he replied, before mouthing 'she's walking Jethro' to the older man.

"Ah, I see," he commented with an agreeing nod, before regaling the two agents with tales of his youth, hoping to coax a laugh, or at least a smile from the young agent. At this point Ducky would be satisfied if he feigned interest or participated in the conversation that was going on around him in any way.

* * *

"And you're sure he'll be okay on his own?" Gibbs asked as they left the diner and walked to their cars.

"He should be fine," Ducky advised. "And as I said, he'll be much more comfortable in his own apartment than my house or yours."

" _He_ can hear you," Tim commented, causing the two men to smile, in both amusement and relief, "And agrees with Ducky."

"You are definitely more aware than you were an hour ago," Ducky commented cheerfully.

Tim just shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it yet.

"Do you need anything before I drop you off?" Gibbs asked.

"No, I just want to grab a shower and head to bed," Tim commented. "And I really can take a cab."

"Not going to leave you to strangers," Gibbs commented as they reached his car and two got in and buckled.

It was a quiet drive, neither one much for speaking on a normal day, let alone on a day when so many secrets are revealed.

"Hey," Gibbs said, garnering Tim's attentions as he took the exit for the young man's apartment. "Whatever you want to do, I'll support you."

Tim nodded. In truth, he hadn't thought past climbing into bed and pulling the covers over his head in an attempt to escape this day.

"I mean it, Tim," he promised. "I'm sure you still need to process everything, but if you want, we can talk tomorrow and you can let me know what you want to do, how you want to proceed."

"Thanks."

Gibbs nodded as he pulled onto Tim's street and found a parking space out front.

"You don't have to park, I'll be fine."

"And miss the chance to see my namesake?"

Tim rolled his eyes, knowing that was just an excuse. Abby might take any opportunity to see Jethro, but Gibbs? He hadn't asked about the dog once since the incident when the team first encountered him. Abby, Tim thought, closing his eyes as the memory of Ziva's words played in his mind. He still couldn't believe that she and Tony had been trying to ruin one of the best things that ever happened to him. And to think, he had listened to their advice about his relationship with Ziva. Ziva. No, he told himself his hands clutching into fists. He wasn't going to think about this. Not now. Not yet.

"C'mon, Tim," Gibbs said softly, ushering Tim out of the car and into the apartment building. Within a few minutes, they were in Tim's apartment. "Go, have your shower," Gibbs directed, "I'm just going to sit here with Jethro for a few minutes," Gibbs said as he sat on the couch and called the dog over to him. "Nice place," he commented, looking around while he rubbed Jethro's belly.

Tim shrugged, "I like it."

"You should," Gibbs stated obviously. "It's yours, and you probably spend a lot of time here."

"More lately," he commented. "Ziva really likes it here, says it's homey. Which is kind of weird, most people think it's too cluttered, too geeky, too me," Tim admitted, too tired to monitor his words.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with you," Gibbs felt the need to point that out. "And it should be you, it's your place." His words were met with another shrug. "Go take that shower, Jethro and I will be fine."

"You really don't have to stay," Tim stated, only to receive a glare in reply. Shaking his head, Tim looked at the two Jethros, "I really should take a picture, Abby would i-" he stopped, mid sentence. Abby wouldn't kill for a picture of the two Jethro's together because Abby probably wouldn't hear about it. _He_ had no intention of telling her about this.

"Hey," Gibbs called, he was pleased to see that Tim hadn't tensed up, closed his eyes or clutched his hands into fists this time like he did earlier, but he still wasn't happy that Tim couldn't complete a sentence about one of his coworkers. "Don't worry about her. Just take care of yourself. Now, go take that shower," he ordered, standing up and ushering the younger man through the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Returning to the living room, he paced for a few minutes. Even though Ducky said Tim would be fine on his own, he didn't think that was the best thing for him. However, he also didn't think that him spending the night on Tim's couch would make the younger mean feel better. He had a feeling Tim would feel awkward and uneasy in the morning when he found out that Gibbs had spent the night. He sighed as he debated his options. . Ducky was out for a similar reason. Tim would be mortified that the older gentlemen had slept on the couch while he was in his comfortable bed. Jimmy was a possibility, though he would probably accidentally say something that could make everything worse. Ziva, Abby, and Tony were obviously out. That left one person.

After finding the number, he dialed the phone.

"Hey, Sarah, it's Agent Gibbs,"

"Gibbs?" she repeated, her voice sounding higher than normal. "Oh, god, I knew it. Tim's hurt. What happened? What hospital? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"He's okay, physically," Gibbs added. "He's just had some surprising new. He probably shouldn't be left alone tonight and I doubt he would be comfortable once he learned that I stayed."

Sarah snorted, that was an understatement. "Why can't Ziva stay with him? Oh god, is she hurt? Dead? Is that the shocking news?"

Gibbs's eyebrow raised at the revelation that Sarah new about the relationship between his two agents. "No, no, she's fine," he silently added the physically, this time. "She's just not available."

"Did she break up with him? She better not have broken my brother's heart," she warned.

"No, they haven't broken up," Gibbs replied, at least not yet, he thought to himself. "She, like the rest of the team is unavailable to stay the night. I was wondering if you could spend the night here, I could have Ziva pick you up." He didn't care if he woke her or disturbed her, it was the least she could do since she was responsible for part of this situation. "I don't really think it's a good idea for him to be on his own."

"What happened?"

"It was something personal," Gibbs admitted.

"Another reason why he would be uncomfortable with you there," Sarah speculated. "Hold on a moment," she said, putting her phone on mute for a couple of minutes. "I'm currently in a study group, one of my classmates agreed to drive me over there. Um, will you be okay to stay there until I can be there? I need to go pack some things."

"Take your time," he reassured her. I'll be fine, I'm just spending time with the dog."

"If you could walk him before you leave that would be great," she commented. "Whenever I take him out, it's actually more like he drags me, than me walking him," she admitted.

"I can do that," he agreed, like he would've let her walk him by herself that late anyway.

He had just hung up the phone when he heard the shower turn off. He quickly settled himself back on the couch, Jethro once more by his side.

"Okay, I'm out," Tim announced as he exited his bedroom. "You can head out now."

Gibbs shook his head, "I'll head out in a few, you can just head to bed."

"But-"

"Go," Gibbs ordered, causing Tim to just roll his eyes before complying, he knew better than to argue with his boss, especially when it aligned with what he wanted.

* * *

"Okay, I'm here," Sarah said as she entered the apartment. Putting down her bag, she added, "Where's Tim?"

"In his room, sleeping."

She raised an eyebrow at that, surprised that he fell asleep when she was on her way over. Quietly, she walked to his door, cracking it open a peep to look in on him. While he didn't look peaceful, he was sleeping.

"What is going on?" She asked, shutting the door.

"It's not my place to tell you," Gibbs informed her.

"Yeah, well, when I get calls from you, Ziva, and _Tony_ , about my brother, someone better tell me something," she stated, her voice raising with each word.

"Quiet down before you wake him," Gibbs ordered.

"Look, I'm sorry, but none of you guys would tell me anything. I couldn't really believe that he was okay until I saw him for myself since all of you guys called me. I mean, even when he has been injured on the job, you guys don't call, yet tonight, _all_ of you guys called. Ever since I hung with you, whenever my phone rang, I expected it to be Abby, asking me about Tim."

No doubt it would've been, Gibbs thought, if she had known, that is.

"Listen, I know it's tough, but I'm gonna ask you not to pester him with questions. Feel free to tell him that we called you, that you are worried, but let him decide what or if he tells you. It was a long day for him today, and, as I said, he received some shocking news. He's doing well, and should be fine, I was just apprehensive about leaving him on his own."

"What kind of shocking news?"

Gibbs just looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Did she really expect him to answer that?

"Fine," she submitted. "I won't pressure or pester him into telling me. But I will tell him that you guys scared me with all your calls."

"That's fine," he agreed. "Before I go, I'll take Jethro out for you."

"Thanks," she said as she went to retrieve Jethro's leash for him.

* * *

2-5-19

Okay, so 'Monday' is over...Does Tim show up to work on Tuesday? Does he tell Sarah what happened? Does Vance find out about everything?


	71. Tuesday Mar 24 Wake up call (J71)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Not knowing what the day would hold, or even if Tim would be in, Gibbs called the other two agents telling them to be at their desks within the next hour. He had debated calling them the night before and telling them to be there before the sun rose, but felt that they needed a wake up call, in more ways than one.

"The orders from last night still apply," Gibbs began, staring Tony in the eyes. "You will not talk about what happened yesterday to anyone. You will not tease, comment, infer, imply, or remark about this. Not by email, text, spoken word, nothing. Not to Abby, Ducky, Palmer, _no one_ ," he stressed before adding, "nor to each other and especially not to Tim."

Tony blinked at that command. How could this get straightened out if he couldn't even talk to Ziva about it; if _they_ couldn't talk to Tim.

"You will be on your best behavior for the foreseeable future," Gibbs warned. "Each of you will take your cues for today from Tim. If he acts like nothing has happened, so do you, treating him as if nothing is different. If he makes it obvious he does not want to talk to you about anything not related to work, you will leave him alone, unless you need, not want, but _need_ ," he stressed warningly, "his help on a case. Regardless, neither of you will mention what was said last night, understood?" he stated, waiting until he received a nod from both of them. "If we get a case, we will have to work together to solve it, if we cannot, changes will have to be made. If those changes are made, they might become permanent," he warned.

"So, McGeek will be coming in today?" Tony asked, receiving a glare from both of them at the name. "Hey, you said to be normal, this is normal."

"Gibbs also said to behave," Ziva snapped.

"Enough!" Gibbs ordered, his gaze shifting between the two of them. "Things are going to be hard enough without you two going at it again."

Tony turned away, biting his tongue to keep from blurting out what was on his mind.

"Can't you just see if you can get us off rotation for the day?"

"For what reason?" Gibbs returned. "As of right now, I do not believe Vance is aware of what has happened. If I ask for us to be benched, he's going to want a reason. Once he hears what happens, hears what everyone, including you and Abby have been up to," Gibbs broke off with a shrug.

Tony gulped as he thought about what that could mean. Internal Affairs…the one thing worse than lawyers.

"Exactly," Gibbs agreed, recognizing the look on Tony's face.

"Will Timothy be coming in today?" Ziva asked softly.

"I have not heard otherwise," Gibbs replied, not making any promises.

"Then he will be in," Ziva stated, nodding in agreement. No matter how upset he might be, he would still contact Gibbs to let him know if he wasn't going to be present. Part of Ziva was glad that he was going to be in. While things might be awkward and uncomfortable as the team dealt with this, at least Tim would be _here_. If he called out, it would be much easier for him to avoid them, for him to make the decision to leave and not tell them.

Gibbs paused as he looked at his watch. There was still plenty of time before the moment of Tim's regular arrival time. "DiNozzo, with me," Gibbs commanded, as he started walking towards conference room three.

"Yes, boss," Tony replied, determined not to show his nervousness.

* * *

"Sarah?" Tim questioned as he stared at the image of his sister sitting at his table eating breakfast.

"Hey, Tim. Want some eggs?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Tim replied, satisfied that he wasn't imagining his sister's presence. Of course, she usually doesn't offer to cook him breakfast, so maybe this was a dream? "What are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied as she started cooking his eggs. "Can't a girl come visit her brother without needing to be proven innocent of murder?" she teased.

"Another test?" Tim asked as he poured himself some coffee and took a seat.

"Nope," she replied before thinking about it for a moment. "Well, yes, always, such is the life of a college student, but I'm good. Found a study group."

"Good for you," Tim cheered. "So why are you here? Need help moving or something?"

"No," she denied. "No reason," she added as she plated the eggs and set them before her him.

"Uh-huh," he replied knowingly, staring at her. While Sarah was more skillful when it came to lying than her brother, he could always tell if she was hiding something."

"I was worried about you."

"About me?" he repeated in surprise. "Why?"

She shrugged.

"Sarah, why?" Tim asked as he laid his fork down across his plate.

"I got calls from most of your team yesterday," she finally admitted. "They wouldn't tell me what was going on which _really_ worried me. I thought you were hurt…or worse."

"But-"

"And I might've flipped out a bit on Gibbs."

"What? Why?" he asked puzzled about what could have happened while he was sleeping.

"Because he called me."

Tim looked at his sister in disbelief, "Really? Because he _called_ you?" he repeated. "Gibbs wouldn't have called you if he didn't think it was necessary," Tim paused, frowning at the thought, why did Gibbs think it was necessary.

"I know," she exclaimed, glad he finally seemed to understand.

"But why?" Tim muttered, not sure if he was talking about Sarah's or Gibbs's actions.

"Because _he_ called me," she repeated. "My phone must've been out of range earlier because when I hear my phone ring, I saw that I had missed calls from Tony _and_ Ziva. With Gibbs calling as well, I really thought something had happened to you. Before he could say anything other than his name, I was asking him about you, if you were okay, what hospital you were in, what happened," she explained as he resumed eating.

"So why did he call?"

She shrugged, "Said something happened and that you probably shouldn't be alone and most likely wouldn't be comfortable if you woke and found him on the couch,"

Tim grimaced, "Uh, yeah, can't argue with that" he agreed. "I think I would've been fine by myself, but thank you for coming."

"Of course," she replied, walking over to give him a hug. "I'm just really glad that you're ok."

"I'm fine," he replied as he returned the hug. "I'm gonna get ready for work, do you need a ride somewhere?"

"Yes, please," she replied. "If you can drop me off by the dorms, that would be great."

"Of course," he replied. "You getting ready here or there?"

When she responded here, Tim offered her the bathroom first, saying he will take care of cleaning the kitchen. After another hug and a kiss on his cheek, Sarah grabber her bag and headed to the bathroom, Tim staring after her.

It didn't take long before the siblings where in Tim's car heading out.

"No questions?" Tim asked, breaking the silence after ten minutes of driving in silence.

"I always have questions," she replied, turning to him with a grin.

"You haven't asked any about what is going on," he observed.

She shrugged, "If you want to tell me, you will."

Tim shot her a disbelieving look, that was definitely not like his sister.

"And Gibbs said not to pester you about what happened," she reluctantly admitted, "to let you bring it up."

Tim snickered, most people do listen to Gibbs, even those that don't' work for him.

"So, since you brought it up, you want to talk about it?" She cheekily asked.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head at her antics.

"Nope, but thanks for the offer," he replied, grinning at her pout.

"Darn it," she said as he pulled up in front of her dorm.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Gibbs asked as he leaned over the conference table and into Tony's face.

"I told you," Tony said in his defense, "I was just trying to act normal. I swear I didn't mean anyth-"

"Not that," Gibbs interrupted, glaring at Tony.

"Hey, I didn't really say anything yesterday," he protested.

Gibbs just continued to glare at him.

"We'll get back to yesterday later," he promised, before bluntly asking what he wanted to know. "How long have you and Abby, no," he corrected himself, "I just want to hear about you right now. How long have you been spying on Tim?"

"I wouldn't call it _spying_ ," Tony replied, rushing to answer when Gibbs continued to glare at him. "Only this last week," he admitted. "Before that, all I did was talk to him."

"All?" Gibbs repeated incredulously. "I was there for some of those 'talks'," he reminded his senior agent. "You harassed, you insulted, you pestered. Rarely did you _talk_ or even ask him questions. God, Tony," Gibbs continued as he straightened up and ran a hand through his hair, "I told you to stay out of it, to leave him and especially his romantic life alone. I even warned you about consequences. Well, right now we are all dealing with some very large consequences brought on due to your actions, I just hope this team can survive them," Gibbs stated as he headed towards the conference room doors.

"That's it?" Tony asked impulsively. "That's all you're going to say?"

Without turning around, Gibbs replied. "Right now it is," he confirmed, "But only because I can't deal with you right now. Hell, part of me doesn't want to look at you or even speak to you. I just wanted you to be aware of what your actions have wrought. And I want to make sure that I am in the bullpen when Tim arrives. _He_ is where I need to be right now, not dealing with…what did Ziva say?" he paused as if trying to remember, "Ah, yes, a clueless, boorish, brainless imbecile," he concluded before storming out of the room.

* * *

As Gibbs returned to the bullpen, Ziva now understood what Tony meant by steam coming out of their ears. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "My turn?"

Gibbs looked at her, gave her a half smile and shook his head. "No. I need to calm down and talk to a few others first," he explained. "We will be working on cold cases for the day unless we get a call."

Ziva nodded before grabbing some files to review.

About ten minutes later, Tony returned to his desk, not meeting anyone's gaze. Seeing what Ziva was working on, he quickly grabbed a stack of folders and got to work.

As she looked through them, hoping to find something that might spark a new lead, she remembered how well she and Tim had worked together on these cases. Talking about them out loud to each other seemed to help bring in a new perspective, she thought as she looked at the empty desk where he usually sat. Staring at his chair, she couldn't help but wonder when he would be in and how he would be. Would he greet them normally, pretending that yesterday never happened, would he ignore them, pretending they don't exist, or would he tell them exactly what he was thinking and feeling about what was said and done yesterday?

* * *

Tim exited the elevator and started to head towards his desk, his footsteps faltering for a moment when he noticed that the other three desks in the bullpen were already occupied, and that they appeared to be there for a while since each had a stack of cold cases in front of them. Taking a deep breath, Tim proceeded to his desk, without saying a word. At the last moment, he veered and stood in front of Gibbs's desk. He could feel all three sets of eyes on him, though he knew from experience that it would not seem that way to the casual observer.

"Boss," he began, waiting for Gibbs to lift his head up. When he did, Tim was surprised by the look of relief on his face and in his eyes. Shaking it off, he met those blue eyes and simply said, "Thanks."

Gibbs simply gave him a quick smile and nodded, not willing to talk about anything personal with every ear in the bullpen listening in.

Tim returned both the nod and smile and proceeded to his desk as well. "Cold cases?" he asked, seeking confirmation about what they were working on.

"Yep, unless a call comes in."

"Got it," he replied, grabbing some files and heading to his desk.

* * *

Gibbs's gaze moved between his three agents. For once, he wished he was more familiar with texting or email. He wanted the opportunity to talk to Tim, but wasn't sure if he could trust Tony and Ziva not to discuss things in the bullpen during the time of his absence. With a sigh, he stood up, "I'm going for some coffee," he announced, startling and confusing his team. Gibbs never informed them when he was going for coffee, he usually just disappeared and reappeared, coffee cup in hand. "McGee, want to join me?"

Knowing it wasn't really a request, he quickly agreed and followed Gibbs out of the bullpen and into the elevator.

"Boss?" Tim finally asked as he waited for the older man to stop the car from moving.

"You're not in trouble, and I do need coffee," he replied, answering the unspoken question.

"Right." Tim agreed, before adding, "Thank you for walking Jethro last night."

Gibbs snorted, "I can see what Sarah meant when she said it felt liked he was dragging her. He wouldn't let me 'walk' him, he wanted to run. That dog loves to run, doesn't he?"

"I'm sorry," Tim gave a small laugh as he apologized for his dog's behavior, something Gibbs just brushed off. "He does," he confirmed. "He'll walk with me to the park, but once there, he just wants to take off. At night, he's usually okay with just a walk, but he will run if you let him and, since he was with someone new, probably thought it wouldn't hurt to try. I had to warn the new dog walker about that," he admitted.

Gibbs nodded and shook his head in disbelief; he'd been taken advantage of by a dog-that was something new. "Do you know what his training schedule was like?"

"A lot of running," Tim confirmed, as the doors opened into the lobby.

Another nod. "It wasn't too bad," Gibbs commented.

"Ziva often teases, teased me about how nice it was to have a great running companion," Tim replied. "She meant Jethro," he added softly.

Gibbs gave him a smile, glad to hear him talk about someone on the team, even if he did correct himself to past tense. "I know there hasn't been much time, but have you given any thought to what you want to do?"

Tim looked away, "Not really."

Gibbs nodded, he suspected as much. "Again, whatever you decide, I'll support you."

"Whatever?" Tim questioned in disbelief, not sure how well that statement would hold up if Gibbs knew some of the thoughts he has had.

Another nod. "Yes. Tony and Abby were out of line with what they had done. If you want to talk to the Director and file a complaint, to begin an investigation, I'll help you fill out the paperwork. If you want to maintain a strictly professional relationship with them, I will work with you to create guideline and make sure that they are enforced. If you decide you cannot and will not work with them, I will meet with Vance and we will come up with a plan that is best for everyone's career. Your life and career should not be held back because of their actions. _You_ will not be punished because of their misdeeds and inability to listen. If you decide that you want to leave, either NCIS or the team to get a fresh start elsewhere, again, I will support you and give you the best damn recommendation anyone could want. I hope you decide not to leave the team, but I can understand why you might, and I will not hold you back."

Tim nodded. "An investigation?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Everything we know is because of what Ziva said, what she overheard. We have no evidence, no reason to collect evidence. You filing a grievance against them will help us get that evidence."

"I-"

"You do not have to decide right now," Gibbs advised. "In fact, you shouldn't decide right now. It's a big decision. You should not decide to file a complaint lightly, nor should you dismiss what happened on a whim. Just make sure that you do what _you_ want; do not let anyone else tell you what you should or should not do," he added. "It is _your_ decision. You were the wronged party."

"But IA," Tim began.

"Yes, IA will become involved, as they do whenever a complaint is filed against an agent or employee of NCIS, that is their job. Don't worry about them," Gibbs replied. "You need to do what is best for Tim McGee."

"I-okay," Tim agreed. "Any thing else?"

Gibbs hesitated a minute, "Just wanted to remind you that I am here if you want to talk, whether it be about options, advice, or just someone to listen. Like wise I am sure Ducky will be available to you as well."

Tim nodded. "Is that all?" he asked, sensing Gibb's tentativeness.

"I noticed you have not spoken with them today, and that is fine," Gibbs reassured the younger man. "If you need to get away, from them, from the bullpen, from anything, let me know. Even if it is just because you would like some time to think about everything," he added. "Part of me wanted to call and tell you not to come in, to take a few days, or at least today to think about things," he confessed. "But I suspected that you wouldn't. I was also afraid that if I gave you the day, it would easily turn into two, a week, and the next thing I know, you would be gone, never having come back," he admitted.

Tim blinked at those words. Was that the reason he seemed so relieved when Tim appeared in the bullpen this morning, Tim wondered. Before he could say anything, Gibbs started speaking again.

"If you need to work elsewhere for a few hours, conference room, autopsy, cyber crimes, I understand. I would move Tony or Ziva, but," he shrugged, "First, I need to keep Tony where I can see him," he admitted, "and second, it would be harder to move both of them than just you."

"I understand," Tim nodded.

"I don't want you to feel that you are being punished for their actions. Likewise, I don't want you to believe that I'm ignoring this," Gibbs added awkwardly. "I will not force you to talk about it or make a decision before you are ready, but that does not mean that I don't care, that I'm not supporting you. I told Tony and Ziva that they are not to mention this or anything not case related to you unless you talk first, so don't think that they are mad at you, are ignoring you, or pretending that this did not happen. They know that what happens next is up to you and are trying to abide by whatever rules you put down, even if those rules are unspoken."

Tim nodded, understanding what he was saying. Rules, he mused out loud. Everyone on the team knew Gibbs's rules. That might make a great start in helping him figure this out, he realized.

"Whatever happens," Gibbs began, "I want you to know that things, me, _this team_ , will be different. Too much was going on that I was unaware of and that is unacceptable to me and it will change."

Tim just looked at him, not knowing what to say, or even if a response was necessary, as the two entered the elevator to return to the bullpen. He couldn't think of a time when Gibbs spoke so much, let alone about feelings. His thoughts were broken into when Gibbs started talking again.

"Your first day on this team, I told you that you belonged to me," Gibbs reminisced. "That means that I am there for you whenever it was needed, that my door is always open to you. You will always be one of mine, even if you leave. Just remember that," Gibbs added as the doors opened to the bullpen and he exited, Tim slipping out of the elevator just before the doors reclosed.

* * *

"What did you say to him?" Ziva demanded to know, confronting Gibbs outside of the men's room.

"Who, Tony?" Gibbs replied, he hadn't missed the stunned, fearful expression on the SFA's face when he returned to his desk.

"I could care less what you said to _him,"_ she replied harshly, "I am talking about Tim."

When the two returned to the bullpen, Tim had a look of shock on his face, as if he wasn't sure what had just happened.

"If you dared to blame him for what happened, had yelled at him for what I did yesterday," she angrily continued.

"I didn't," Gibbs interrupted. "That's all you need to know. Anything else is between Tim and I," he added, before turning around.

"Gibbs," she protested, frustrated with the situation. "Please," she added softly. "You tell me not to approach him, to not talk to him, but it is very difficult not to when I can see that he is so troubled. I just need to know what is going on, how he is."

With a sigh, he turned back around, "He's conflicted," Gibbs replied, not telling her anything she didn't already know. "He hasn't done much thinking about it, so he doesn't know what he is going to do yet," Gibbs informed her. "I told him that whatever he does decide, I will support him. It took him a while to bounce back yesterday," he admitted. "And he still had some challenging moments last night, but he seems to be doing better."

"Challenging how? What happened?" she queried, her voice filled with concern.

He just stared at her.

"Right, need to know," she stated with a sigh. "Promise me that you will let me know if he gets worse, if he says something I need to know about?"

To her surprise, he shook his head, "Nope. Can't promise that. I won't break the trust he might place in me."

Ziva took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I am glad that something positive is coming from this at least."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her in silent inquiry.

"Your relationship with Tim," she replied. "You are showing him and everyone that he matters to you as much as Tony, Abby, and myself."

"He always has," Gibbs stated firmly.

She shrugged, "He did not feel that way. A lot of other people didn't see it either," she admitted, "Myself included."

"Why?"

"Because it wasn't evident."

He rolled his eyes, "What made you think that?"

"Everything. From not supporting or helping him when things got out of control with Tony or Abby; not listening to him, especially if one of them were involved; never calling him by his first name; for mostly ignoring him when the team was separated, even though he was in the same building; dismissing him when he was injured; for seemingly not trusting him in the field and leaving him behind; to-"

"I get it," Gibbs interrupting, cutting off the long list of offenses.

She shrugged, "People talk," was all she stated.

He looked at her, "What do you think they are saying now?"

"I am sure I do not want to know," she admitted. "Though I am sure Timothy's part in all of this has been greatly exaggerated."

Gibbs snorted. Even though Tim was not the one yelling or being yelled at, he was very much involved, as he was just the subject of it. No doubt something that added even more confusion to those that heard about the confrontation.

"I also doubt that I will find out, at least not any time soon. I am certain that they will go to great strides to make sure that I do not overhear them talking badly about Tim, especially after yesterday."

Gibbs did his best to hide his grin. Oh, yeah, that was one thing he was certain of as well.

"We should get back," he commented, "I'm not sure I trust DiNozzo there alone with Tim."

Ziva muttered something in Hebrew before rushing back to her desk, hoping that the SFA did not make things worse.

* * *

2-6-19

Well, Tim showed up for work...Gibbs started talking with Tony, deliberately put off Ziva, and tried to show his support to Tim. What do you guys think of the all those conversations? Do you feel like there were any major points that I missed?


	72. Tuesday Mar 24 am (J72)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Hey, McGee, can I ask you something?"

"Like I've ever been able to stop you," Tim muttered bitterly.

Tony frowned and looked at the file in front of him before looking at his partner once more and asking, "This case," he began before reading what was in the case file, "doesn't it seem hinky to you?"

"Like the majority of our cases _aren't_ hinky?" Tim replied with a snort. "You know, your partner in crime is the expert in hinky, maybe you should talk with her," he suggested.

"Tim,"

"McGee," Tim corrected, not looking up from his computer.

"What?" Tony asked, confused by the younger man's injection.

"You can call me McGee. Only my friends and those I trust call me by my first name."

Tony visibly gulped, nonplussed by the words and tone McGee used.

"Wait, Ziva calls you Tim, does that mean that she is still a friend? How do I get back on that list as well?"

Tim turned and glared at him. "One, we have not talked with each other today, so you don't know _what_ she is calling me; Two, it is way to soon for us to talk about what has happened; Three, can't say you were ever _on_ that list, which basically makes it impossible to get _back_ on it; Four through Ten, it is not any of your concern or business."

Tony just nodded, deciding not to take the conversation any further, he was a good investigator, he could figure out why this cased bothered him so much. At least, he could if he wasn't so focused on the team. He was beginning to realize that this situation wasn't going to be as easy to fix as he thought.

* * *

Gibbs looked at the time, then blinked and double checked it. It had been over an hour since he and Ziva returned to the bullpen. Abby should've been in by now, he realized, surprised that he had not heard from her. He had left a message in her lab for her to contact him as soon as she was in, before she did anything else. While he was not looking forward to meeting with her, he knew it had to be done and the sooner the better, especially if what Ziva said was true about people talking. He snorted, who was he kidding, of course people were talking.

He glanced up and once more noticed the heads of all three of his team members ducking back down to their desks. He was well aware of the looks and glances that they kept shooting towards each other. He had actually wondered if Tony was going to need stitches since he kept biting his lip to keep from saying anything.

With another glance at the time, he decided it might be best to head down to the lab and wait for Abby there. The only issue was Tim. Gibbs had no doubt that if he left, Tony's self-control would leave with him and he did not want Tim to be cornered by the other agent until he made his decision on how to proceed.

As he opened his mouth to suggest that Tim take a break or go see Ducky, the elevator chimed and the doors opened. The sound of heavy shoes rushing about was soon followed by a shouted, "Timmy!"

Abby popped into view, rushing towards the young man, who automatically jumped at the sound of his name before standing up.

"What did I miss?" she asked.

"Abby," Gibbs injected, moving to intercept the scientist.

"What happened yesterday?" she questioned, ignoring Gibbs and staring at Tim. "Someone said there was a fight in the bullpen last night. Someone else reported that you had to be seen by Ducky. I also heard that you were leaving us," she reported, glaring at him as if he was to blame for anything that might have happened. "And someone had the gall to say that they were surprised you didn't do so earlier!"

"Abby,"

"What did you do?" she asked, looking him over, "You look okay, no injuries, so-."

"Abby, enough," Gibbs stated firmly, finally getting her to listen. "Tim, why don't you go see Ducky in Autopsy or take a walk," Gibbs advised, hoping that by using his first name, McGee would know that his supervisor wasn't mad or upset with him.

"What?! No!" Abby protested as Tim walked away. "Then he can't talk to me."

"Why should he talk to you when he's not talking to anyone else?" Ziva asked harshly once Tim was out of hearing range.

"Because I am his best friend," she cried.

"Really?" Ziva asked skeptically, wondering if Abby really believed that.

Abby glared at her as the tension between the two increased. "Okay," she reluctantly confessed. "So he might have told me that he considers his girlfriend to be his best friend."

"He did?" all three occupants said in unison.

"Yeah," she confirmed, not seeing what the big deal was. "But I'm his best friend at work, obviously. Now will someone tell me what happened after I left yesterday?" she demanded.

Tony and Ziva both turned towards Gibbs. Tony not wanting any part of this conversation, while Ziva seemed to be pleading with Gibbs to let her do the talking.

* * *

"It's good to see you, Timothy," Ducky greeted as he entered autopsy.

"Tim! Hi," Jimmy added, his eyes following Tim as he entered the room.

"Hi," Tim replied awkwardly.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, everything is fine," he stated, unconsciously repeating his words from last night.

"Timothy?"

Hearing the concern in Ducky's voice, Tim lifted his eyes to meet the worried gaze of the ME, "Yeah, Ducky?"

"No doubt you are still feeling a lot from last night. Anything you want to talk about?"

Tim slumped against the wall, "I don't know what to do. Everything is so strange upstairs. It's like we are all walking on egg shells. I don't have the first clue about how we are going to get past this."

"Do you _want_ to get through this?"

Tim just shrugged.

Jimmy looked between the two, his eyes opened widely "Um, I'm just gonna go…yeah," he stopped, knowing that neither were listening to him and that he just needed to leave.

"What do you want?" Ducky asked softly, gesturing the agent to a chair.

"To go back in time and prevent last night from happening," Tim immediately replied.

"Really?" Ducky inquired, his voice full of shock. "You would prefer the truth to be buried? You would prefer not knowing what was going on around you?"

Tim closed his eyes as he thought about that. "No," he reluctantly admitted, "Not when you put it like that. I just…"

"I know, Timothy, I know," Ducky commiserated when his companion's voice trailed off. "Unfortunately, time travel is the least likely way to resolve what has happened. You could ignore it and pretend it did not happen," he acknowledged, "But who will that benefit? You?" he asked looking at the man across from him.

"No," Tim replied honestly. "As much as I might wish it, I know I won't be able to forget or ignore what I learned, what was said."

"Anthony?" Ducky asked, continuing before Tim could say a word. "He will not change and grow if he is never held accountable for his actions."

Tim just sat there listening, wondering if it was even possible for Tony to change.

"The same could be true of Abby," Ducky commented, deciding not to continue on that topic once he saw the look on Tim's face.

"Once more, Timothy, I say to you, 'To thine own self be true," Ducky quoted. "Whatever you decide, you must live with it. I will be happy to assist you in any way I can, even if it is just as a sounding board. I am sure Jethro will as well," he added, glad to see that the dark cloud that passed over Tim's face at the mention of Abby's name didn't reappear. "You know you _can_ trust us, we will not tell another soul, living or dead," he added with a look at the autopsy tables, "anything you choose to share with us. Nor will we try to influence your decisions. We might play devil's advocate, but only so that you know exactly what your choices are."

"Ducky, it's _Abby_ ," Tim responded mournfully. "And Tony. Trust me, there is no right decision."

Ducky looked at him askew, "Why do you say that?"

"Because if I do nothing, things will go back to how they were, how they've always been," he added. "And honestly, I don't know how much longer I can live, work like that. But if I file a complaint, and IA gets involved," he shudders. "I don't know if Gibbs will ever forgive me if..."

"Timothy, there would be nothing to forgive _you_ for. They brought it on themselves," Ducky replied. "Gibbs told me that he was angry at them. That he told them to leave your personal life alone."

"Still," Tim hesitated, "Anything I choose is going to change things."

"There are many paths before you, none of them will be easy, and yes, changes _should_ come as a result of your decision,' he agreed. "What you have to do is figure out what you wish to happen, what you want, and then determine what steps to take to get you there."

"Isn't that being selfish? Orchestrating events to my desired outcome?"

"Not at all, my dear boy," Ducky disagreed. "You aren't orchestrating anything, and just because you set the wheels in motion, just because you _want_ something to happen does not mean that it automatically will."

"Then what," Tim began to ask, confused by the doctor's advice.

"It will help narrow down your choices," he explained. "After all, if you want to make lemonade, first you will need to buy lemons."

"Um, okay," Tim replied, believing he understood what Ducky meant, though curious about why he phrased it that way.

"Just know that sometimes some things that we want to happen might seem contradictory with other things we want, in that case, you need to determine which of those items is more important to you; which would be better to increase your happiness," Ducky continued.

"I...I don't want to see them punished," Tim admitted. "I mean, not punished just to be punished. For them to learn something, realize what they did was wrong, was going too far, yeah," he explained, "But not as petty revenge, not for..."

"I know, Timothy, I know," Ducky offered again. "Can I tell you something Jethro said yesterday that you most likely did not hear?"

Tim nodded, he suspected that there were a lot of things going on last night that he tuned out.

"He actually told me that he wanted to throw the book at them and perhaps a few lamps as well," the older man confided with a smile.

Tim had to bit his lip to keep from returning that smile, he really couldn't imagine boss saying that.

"Honest," his companion vowed, seeing the skepticism on Tim's face.

Tim nodded, as he thought about what Ducky said and what he wanted, now he just had to figure out what that was.

It was only once he returned to the bullpen that he wondered why Ducky didn't share a story that fit this situation.

* * *

Shaking his head, he gestured to Abby and said, "Follow me," before walking away.

"Where are we going? Are we going to find Timmy? Are you finally going to tell me what happened?"

"Abby," Gibbs scolded, hoping she would quiet down. It seemed to work…for a few minutes at least.

"You won't believe all the rumors I heard," she continued once they were in the elevator, sharing some of those rumors. "Why would people say that Timmy is leaving us? Why don't they seem that shocked by it? I was," she added. "I never thought he would willingly leave. They seem to think that he should have left years ago. Wait, do you think that they think that Timmy's not a good agent?" she asked, staring at him and waiting for an answer as the elevator doors opened.

"Hey, we're at my lab," she commented. "You don't think Timmy came here, do you?"

"No."

"Then why…" she asked.

"In," Gibbs ordered, causing Abby to frown at his tone. He never, well, hardly ever talked to her like that, one of the reasons why she enjoyed being his favorite.

"Wh-"

"I will talk and you will listen," he declared. When she opened her mouth to reply, he continued, "No interruptions. I can't be out of the bullpen too long," he stated, realizing that he had left Tony and Ziva alone. "So right now I'm going to briefly tell you what happened, what I learned and what's going to happen next. No speaking until I'm done, got it?" he repeated, waiting for her nod. "Good."

"There was a…situation that occurred in the bullpen last night," he confirmed. "No one was physically hurt, however a few truths were revealed."

"Oh m-"

"No interruptions," Gibbs repeated, glaring at her and then waiting a few minutes before continuing. "It was revealed that you and Tony were scheming to break Tim and his girlfriend up."

"Tony said" she began before falling silent when Gibbs looked at her.

Gibbs simply raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment about her interrupting, continuing once she went silent. "It was also revealed that you attempted to identify Tim's girlfriend by tracking the GPS from his phone and car, his cell phone records, and his credit cards," Gibbs stated, looking at her when he finished speaking.

Abby didn't say a word, remember his order not to interrupt.

"That after Tony got a picture of Tim and his girlfriend, you asked for a copy to try to find out who she was, using company time and resources for those activities."

Not only did she not even try to interrupt, but Abby turned away.

"Abby, what the hell were you thinking?"

"Timmy-"

"I don't want any excuses," he interrupted. "I don't want you to tell me what someone else said or did. I want you to tell me the truth about what _you_ did and why" he stated firmly.

Abby's jaw snapped shut at those words, no longer sure what to say.

"Really, Abby? Nothing?" he asked when the silence continued between them for over ten minutes.

"Just as well," Gibbs commented. "Because you know what? I don't think I want to know, I can't think of anything you can say that could possibly justify what you did."

Abby turned to look at him in shock, how could he judge her before he heard what she had to say?

"Actually, to be honest, I _know_ I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear whatever story you come up with as I am not in the mood for games," he snapped. "My team is splintering and you and Tony had a hand in the reason why.

"Let me tell you what you are going to do now," he announced. "You will not talk about any of this to anyone, not Tony, Ziva, or anyone else who might wander across your path," he ordered. "Since Tim is the injured party, it is up to him to decide what will happen next. You will not call, text, or contact Tim in any way while he figures this out."

"But-"

"No buts. This is his decision to make and he deserves the time to make it without undue pressure from anyone else," he interrupted, glaring at her. "You need to think about what happened, what _you_ did, and _all_ the consequences involved."

"What consequences?" she asked.

"Abby, this is major. There will be serious repercussions from this. Hell, those rumors you heard earlier? They might not be rumors," he stated. "How can you expect a team to function as a team when some members have no regard for another's privacy? Not only are we talking about the possible break up of the team, but individually, consequences could be dire. We could be talking termination," he informed her, meeting her eyes. "Hell, if it was up to me, you and Tony would be _lucky_ with a month unpaid suspension."

"What!" Gibbs shook his head at her shout.

"Call me when you're ready to tell me the truth," he snapped before turning on his heel and leaving the lab, leaving a fuming Abby staring after him. Maybe he should have had Ziva talk to Abby, he thought as he headed back to the bullpen. The only problem with that would be making sure it stayed at talking.

* * *

2-13-19

Sorry it took so long, was sick and had a temp of over 101 for almost a week, did not feel like doing anything but sleeping.

So, what do you think Abby is going to do?

Will Ziva try to confront Abby?


	73. Tuesday Mar 24 pm (J73)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies;

* * *

Back in the bullpen, surprisingly it was Ziva who initiated conversation between the two that were left there unsupervised. "Did you attempt to talk with Tim when Gibbs and I were gone earlier?"

"McGee," Tony said flatly.

"What?"

"His name is McGee," Tony replied numbly. "Only friends and those he trusts can call him Tim."

Ziva frowned, "Why do you say that?"

"I didn't, Ti-McGee did."

His words caused Ziva to glare at him, "So you did try."

Tony shrugged, "Tried to talk to him about a case," he admitted, "But I got much more than I bargained for," he continued, before falling into his own thoughts and tuning Ziva out.

* * *

Gibbs returned to the bullpen to find his three agents quietly working at their own desks. He couldn't tell whether or not anything had happened while he was at the lab. He suspected it though since all of his agents made sure not to look up and meet his eyes when he returned, nor had anyone said a word.

He had hoped that a visit to Ducky would help Tim find some peace and clarity, but based on the look on his face, it just brought more questions that Tim needed to find the answers to. On the plus side, Gibbs knew Tim was smart, he would find those answers, the only question was what would happen while he was searching.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed by slowly, and quietly. More than one agent purposely walked by their desks, casting glances at the MCRT as if they could find out what was going on just by looking at them. Even the Director was noticed observing the unusually quiet and behaved team as they diligently worked on cold cases.

In order to reinforce his edict that no one discussed this, Gibbs kept a close eye on Tony and Ziva, rarely leaving them alone in the bullpen, with or without Tim. He also seemed to time his coffee breaks to one of them leaving, preventing the two from talking away from the bullpen as well.

Gibbs never thought he would miss the horseplay his team engaged in, but he did. The current atmosphere was heartbreaking. He gave a jolt as that phrase hit him, his gaze automatically alternating between Tim and Ziva.

* * *

Gibbs followed Ziva into the break room, glad to see that no one else was in there. "Ziva," he began softly.

She shook her head

"I know," she informed him, before he had a chance to speak. "I should have kept better control of my temper."

He smiled wanly, "You did an excellent job keeping a hold of your temper," he disagreed, much to her shock. "The fact that your knives didn't make an appearance attest to that," he pointed out.

She shrugged, "Probably would have been better if they had," she reluctantly admitted. "Instead, Tim…" she paused and shook her head.

Gibbs looked at her a moment, "I have anticipated a confrontation between you and Tony for years," he admitted. "I just did not expect the topic to be Timothy McGee."

She snorted, "Before these last few weeks, neither would I. Trust me, there were, _are_ many things I could have yelled at Tony about, and someday I will," she promised. "Unfortunately, after he dared to insult Tim last night, I saw blood. Tim was only trying to help me calm down, keep me from saying or doing something I would regret; the fact that Tony called him weak for that triggered something in me. Everything that I had recently learned, everything that had been on my mind the last few days came flying out.

"I should not have said what I did. Not only did I spill some of his secrets, but I informed everyone around what Tony and Abby have been up to. He did not deserve to find out that way."

"He did not deserve to have his co-workers scheming like that at all," Gibbs pointed out. "And yes, you probably should have told him alone, and picked a better time and place for your confrontation with Tony, but," he paused and gave a shrug, "You are only human, Tim should be able to understand that."

Ziva stared at him, "It is not just a matter of him understanding that, but to deal with everything at once. He must feel like there is no one here he can turn to," she tried to explain. " _I_ spilt his secrets, saying things I had no right to say; Tony and Abby have been colluding behind his back,"

"Hey, he has me," Gibbs injected, "And Ducky. We will do anything we can to help him through this."

She met his eyes, "Even if it means going against Abby _and_ Tony?"

"Yes," Gibbs replied firmly.

She shook her head, "That is good to hear, but I am not sure if Tim would believe that. And I am even more sure that he will not ask that of you. That is just the type of man he is," she added before walking back to her desk.

Throughout the afternoon she could feel the worrying gaze of Gibbs as it rested on her and the confused and concerned looks Tony kept sending her way. However, what she noticed the most was the absence of Tim's eyes, usually filled with amusement and love, looking at her.

* * *

Gibbs received many calls from Abby that afternoon, however, in none of them did she state that she was ready to talk to him. Several times, she asked for permission for McGee to be sent to the lab to help her; a few others she had even requested that Tony be allowed to come down. Part of Gibbs was ready to send Ziva down just to put an end to Abby's antics, however, he decided that more harm than good would come of that, especially since Ziva had mentioned that she preferred her knives over the words she uttered the previous night.

When his phone rang once more and 'Abby' showed as the caller he knew he had to put an end to this. Grabbing his phone, he quickly exited the bullpen, barely glancing at his agents, all of them worriedly eyeing his retreating form.

"Abby," he said, once he was alone in the stairwell. "Are you ready to tell me the truth?"

She ignored his question, "Gibbs, if I could just have Timmy down here for a little bit," she pleaded.

"I told you, no contact. He does not need anyone pressuring him."

"I won't pressure him," she promised. "I just need a second set of hands down here."

" _Tim_ ," he stressed the young agent's name, "is a field agent, not a lab tech. He has a job of his own that he needs to do."

"But he helps out all the time," she protested. "Why should today be any different just because a few things were said last night? I really do need help," she added.

"Then I have two suggestions for you: One, you put in a request with the Director for a temporary assistant, and Two, you stop spending all your time contacting me and get to work."

"Gibbs,"

"Abby," he interrupted. "I will not tell you this again, do not call me unless you are ready to tell me the truth about 'the few things that were said last night'," he quoted her earlier words. "I told you that I was not in the mood for games, so stop playing around like a child and be the adult you should be," he added before hanging up.

He leaned against the wall deep in thought. If he knew Abby, her next step would be to try to corner Tim in the building somehow. Gibbs sighed as he realized he was in for a busy afternoon. He had to keep an eye on Tim, making sure that neither Abby nor Tony tried to confront him, he also had to continue watching Ziva and Tony to make sure that another confrontation between them didn't make things worse. There was also the matter of trying to keep this from the director until Tim made a decision on how to proceed. Gibbs shook his head, he didn't think enough coffee existed in the world to help him through this.

* * *

"Tony, what are you doing here?" Ziva asked incredulously as Tony entered the ladies' room.

"What? You enter the men's room all the time," he replied.

She just looked at him.

"Look, I think we need to talk and Gibbs is keeping too close and eye on us to talk anywhere else."

She raised an eyebrow, "You don't think he will notice that _both_ of us disappeared at the same time?"

"Oh, he'll notice," Tony agreed, "But Abby's covering for me."

"Of course she is," Ziva muttered.

"C'mon, Ziva," Tony begged, "Talk to me."

"I believe I talked to you enough yesterday."

Tony snorted, "Yeah, well, you certainly said a lot," he commented.

"Gibbs said not to discuss this with _anyone_ , not even each other, so I will not."

Tony groaned, "How are we going to figure all of this out if we're not allowed to talk about it?"

"It is not up to us to figure it out," she replied. "The ball, as you say, is in Tim's field."

"In Tim's court," he corrected. "But that's only for his part of it. There is more to talk about."

"And you really think that this is the proper time and place?" Ziva skeptically ask.

"Hey, beggars can't be choosers," he commented, before becoming serious. "Look, we, _I_ wasn't trying to break them up. I was trying to get them together. I think that she's really good for Probie."

"Tim," Ziva corrected automatically, even while a warm sense of pride glowed inside at the thought that someone thought she and Tim and were good together.

"Well, yeah, that's what I said."

"No, you didn't. You called him by a nickname. You never use his first name."

"He told me not to," Tony reminded her.

"He said for you to call him McGee, you didn't do that either, you called him Probie," she pointed out. "And even before that conversation with Tim, you never called him by his first name," none of us really did, she suddenly realized.

"It's-we can talk about that later," Tony said, shaking his head. "I mentioned to Abby that Tim said he might leave the team because of her."

"Because of Abby?" Ziva asked, "It was not just Abby that tr-"

"No, not Abby, his girlfriend, Peggy, Sandy, whatever you want to call her," Tony clarified, rushing to get through this conversation before they were interrupted or discovered. "Abby thought it was because her job would transfer her, and that Tim would follow if things were working out between them. She didn't want him to leave, so figured if they broke up, he wouldn't leave. But what Tim actually said was that he would probably leave if things didn't work out with her."

"That did not give you the right to spy on him," she angrily stated, crossing her arms.

"I admit she, we," he corrected, "Might have gone a bit too far. But I really was concerned when no one answered his door on St. Patty's Day. I thought she had dumped him and the poor kid got drunk and passed out."

"Not everyone handles things the way you do, Tony," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but, well, it's what I know, what most guys would do."

"Timothy is not most guys," Ziva stated firmly.

"Yeah," Tony replied with a shrug, "and that could be part of the problem."

Ziva's brows furrowed as she barely held onto her anger, "He is not a problem."

"Hey, relax," Tony pleaded, holding up his hands in surrender, "That wasn't what I meant."

Ziva frowned and asked, "What could you have possibly meant?"

"Just that I don't know how to relate to him," Tony admitted. "He's smart and into tech and gadgets, my life is focused on sports and movies." Tony paused as he tried to think of a better way to explain this to her, "Look, you mentioned first names, most guys don't use first names with each other, not sport guys," he added.

Ziva stared at him, "That would be you calling him McGee, something else you rarely did," she repeated.

"Hey, guys rag on each other. I would do it to my frat brothers, they would do it to me. In fact," Tony said, lowering his tone as if speaking confidentially, "The name thing was started by one of them. O'Shea was often called O'Shy, O'Brien was O'Brainless, McClonsky was McClumsy, I was DiNosy or DiNeurotic, it wasn't meant in a bad way, just teasing."

Ziva snorted, not disagreeing with that last one. "You are saying that you would not have a problem with Tim turning the chair, so to speak," Ziva stated skeptically.

"Turning the tables," he said, trying to hide his grin, "And no, I wouldn't."

Ziva raised an eyebrow, still doubting him.

"Okay, so I might have a few years ago and there are probably a few things I would be really sensitive about," he admitted. "He has done it in the past and he can be funny when he relaxes."

"So?"

"It shows that he's comfortable enough not to guard his tongue or keep a mask up."

"Like you do," Ziva injected.

"Hey, this isn't about me," he protested. "Well, okay, so maybe part of it is," he reluctantly agreed, causing Ziva to just smirk at him. "But _we_ need to figure out our part of this separate from McGee's. And I'm afraid that once his part is done, we might not get the chance."

She looked at him a moment, "Fine, but not here. If things haven't moved forward by tomorrow evening when we leave work, we can talk then."

"Great," Tony eagerly agreed, "We'll do drinks," he added before rushing out of the ladies' room.

* * *

Gibbs entered the lab without saying a word. Abby had called him earlier asking for him stop by before he left. He had debated whether or not to send Ziva down, but instead, had dismissed the team one at a time, allowing enough time for the previous team member to get to their car before the next was released. The order in which to dismiss them was the easiest decision he had made all day. Tim was first, this would give him the opportunity to talk with his team members if he wanted to, or escape in peace for the night. Once he was out of sight, Gibbs reminded the other two not to contact him or discuss this with anyone before dismissing Ziva for the night. Tony was last one he released since he was the one most likely to wait and confront his partner. He honestly did not know what happened once they left the bullpen, hell, for all he knew, the three of them had headed out for drinks, something he wouldn't have expected, yet, with that crew, anything was possible.

He had waited another hour, before heading down to the lab.

"Gibbs, you came," Abby said noticing the older man in the doorway.

"I did." As mad as he was, he would always come if one of them called him. "You ready to talk?"

Abby shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm not saying I did anything," she began, "But anything we did do, we only did because we were trying to help him," she offered.

"Did he ask you to? Did he _want_ you to?" Gibbs pointedly questioned.

"Timmy never asks for help, especially when he needs it," she replied. "And he definitely needed it."

"Abby, this wasn't a life or death situation. He wasn't hurt and refusing medical treatment, he was trying to keep his personal life private."

"But why?" she cried. "Something hinky had to be going on if he wouldn't tell us anything."

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow looking at her. "Doesn't matter. It had nothing to do with you. So are you ready to tell me the truth?"

"Well," she finally began, "All you have is hearsay. Plus, you can't really say I did any of those things because Timmy's girlfriend doesn't exist."

Gibbs groaned, "Not this again."

"Yes. I mean, no. Timmy says he doesn't have a girlfriend, therefore there is no relationship to break up, no girlfriend to track down," she stated logically.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her, "You know you sound like a lawyer, don't you?"

Abby just shrugged.

Gibbs shook his head, "If you don't start talking, you might need one," he stated firmly.

Abby just looked away.

"Seriously, Abby, how could you do any of that, let alone all of it?" Gibbs asked in disbelief. "And to someone you said is your best friend," he added.

"He's not my best friend," she injected in protest. "I'm his," she corrected. "At least I was. After all, who else was going to play that role? Tony?" she asked giving a mocking laugh.

Gibbs shook his head. "The Abby I thought I knew wouldn't do this."

"Exactly," Abby replied, jumping all over that statement. "Do you really think I would do those things? Who are you going to believe, me, who you've known longer than anyone, except Ducky, or McGee, who has always been jealous of how close everyone else on the team is to you?" she asked.

Gibbs just stared at her in shock. This wasn't how he expected this to go.

"You're telling me that Tim made all of this up because of jealousy? To get some attention?" he asked, his tone incredulous.

"It fits," she offered, adding in a shoulder shrug. "And you _are_ calling him by his name now," she added.

Gibbs frowned, had everyone noticed that he never used Tim's first name? "And if I tell you that this information didn't come from Tim?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She paused at that. "I…damn that Tony," she muttered.

"Wasn't him either; he is in just as much hot water as you are," Gibbs added dryly. "And should I take that as a confession?"

"I…"

Gibbs simply raised an eyebrow.

"He was talking about leaving!" she cried. "I couldn't let that happen."

"And you couldn't have _talked_ to him about it?"

"He wasn't talking to any of us."

"I wonder why," Gibbs replied sarcastically, causing Abby to look at him.

Gibbs shook his head. "Abby, you used NCIS resources and time to illegally look into Tim's private life. What did you think was going to happen? You might have ensured the very thing you were trying to prevent," he added, causing her to pale.

"You have to let me talk to him," she pleaded. "I can get him to see that this was all a misunderstanding. He'll apologize for being mad and forgive us and everything will go back to normal."

Gibbs stared at her in disbelief, "I think it's time we got a new normal around here, one that doesn't try to manipulate or take advantage of their co-workers kind and forgiven nature."

"I'm not doing that," she protested.

"Sure seems that way to me," Gibbs added. "And I told you, no contact with Tim until he makes his decision. I will not allow you, Tony, or anyone else to bully and pressure him into dropping this without resolution."

"C'mon, it's not that big a deal. It's not like we actually managed to break them up or ruin anything."

"You might not have achieved your goals," Gibbs admitted, "But it wasn't through lack of trying, using unauthorized NCIS resources and time, I must again point out," he added meeting her gaze. "Abby, the ends do not justify the means, and just because you weren't successful that does not erase what you tried to do. This was a serious breach of trust. Trust that McGee had in you as a friend and coworker; trust that I had in you; Trust that the Director placed in you."

"Well what about the trust I had in you?" Abby returned. "Trust that you would have my back? That you would help me and protect me? Why are you so worried about McGee and leaving me behind?"

Gibbs stared at her, "The same trust you speak of is the one Tim has in me as well. I am not leaving you behind, hell, if I was, I would've given into my original reaction of telling Vance and having him throw the book at you and Tony for your schemes. I am trying to save something, but apparently I'm the only one in this room that thinks it's worth saving."

"How can you say that?" she cried.

He stared at her, "Because not _once_ have you asked how Tim was. Not once have you expressed sorrow over what you had done, over how your actions have hurt or affected him, other than the fact that I'm focused more on him than you," he harshly added.

* * *

2-14-19  
Happy Valentine's Day (or as I celebrate, Villaintine's Day)

So, Abby and Gibbs talk some more...how do you think their talk ended?

No real mention of Tim in this chapter...hope he is still with us...


	74. Wednesday March 25 (J74)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies;

* * *

"Jethro?" Ducky questioned when he walked into autopsy early Wednesday morning. "Have you been here all night?"

Gibbs just looked at him and shrugged, "Yeah, I guess I have."

"What's wrong?" The medical examiner asked as he approached his friend.

"Just needed a place to think."

Ducky eyed him shrewdly, "Things did not go well with Abigail?" he queried. "Perhaps you should give her more time, the others had a night to sleep on it, she just heard about it yesterday, then had to work all day."

"Maybe," Gibbs replied, still not moving from his spot on the table. Somehow he did not think giving Abby more time would help.

"Speaking of yesterday," Ducky began, "How was everything in the bullpen?"

"Tense," came the immediate reply, "Filled with covert glances."

"Ah, I assume it was not just our young lovers involved in those."

"No," Gibbs confirmed, before adding, "He hasn't said a word to Ziva since Monday."

Ducky nodded, "and Tony?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "Tony tried to talk to Tim about a case, did not like what Tim had to say."

"About the case?" Ducky asked in surprise.

"No, about their relationship."

"Ah," that made more sense and the two agents did have a rather unusual relationship. "What do you think will happen?"

"Couldn't even begin to guess," he admitted. "But my gut isn't saying anything good. The longer Tim leaves things as is, the worse I think it will get."

"How much longer can this go on?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs grimaced as he sat up, "Not much. I made an appointment with the director for Thursday evening. I need to tell him what happened."

"Timothy," Ducky began, eyes widening.

"I know," Gibbs agreed, lowering his head. "I will talk to him this morning. I would like to give him as much time as he needs, but I realized that I am not doing anyone any favors by hiding this. And I need to tell the Director myself, I…something made me realize that," he concluded, remembering what he felt and thought after talking with Abby about the trust the director placed in her and realizing that it applied to himself as well.

"That could make things worse for Abby," Ducky felt obliged to point out.

"I know," Gibbs repeated. "Damn it, Ducky. I don't know how to get through to her," he quietly admitted. "She stands by the opinion that she was helping a friend, that no harm was meant, so therefore it is all okay, and that she did nothing wrong. That Tim will forgive her, Tony and everyone like he always has and that things will go back to normal.

"Can you blame her?"

"Yes," Gibbs replied immediately. "This is serious. Once I tell Vance about this, she could most likely lose her job, especially with her current attitude."

"Not what I meant," Ducky murmured. "What I meant was that in the past you always sided with Abby, to the point of not even being open to hearing the full story from other people. Anytime Abby crossed the line, you were there to either move it or smooth things over for her. She hasn't dealt with the consequences of her actions in a long time. You have inadvertently given her immunity to act however she wants with little regard to others."

Gibbs visible slumped, "So I'm beginning to realize."

Ducky nodded, glad his friend was seeing the truth.

"Ducky, my meeting with her," Gibbs paused and shook his head. "She tried blaming Tim, then blamed Tony. When none of that worked, she brought up that all we had was hearsay, plus that Tim has often stated he didn't have a girlfriend, therefore, said girlfriend didn't exist and wasn't harmed by their supposed actions."

Ducky looked at Gibbs, surprised at all that Abby had done.

"When I told her that wasn't going to work, she decided that since it hasn't affected Tim's relationship with his girlfriend, since it didn't work, it didn't matter anyway."

"Oh, my," Ducky declared, surprised even more.

Gibbs looked at him, letting him know that that was only the tip of the iceberg. "When she said she could talk to him to convince him to apologize, I saw red. I accused her of trying to manipulate him and the situation. I spoke about her breaking the trust he, and I have placed in her. That is when she told me that I broke her trust by not protecting her, by siding with Tim instead of her. She tried to tell me that Tim was just making it up out of jealousy at the close relationships the other members of the team had with me."

Ducky inhaled sharply, "Jethro,"

"I know, Duck, she was lying. And I admit it bothered me that everyone else noticed that the relationship between the two of us wasn't as strong, especially since no one had said anything for all these years," he bitterly added.

Ducky raised an eyebrow, "It was not our place to do so," he commented.

"Maybe not," Gibbs reluctantly admitted, "But it obviously affected the team, much more than I ever imagined, so shouldn't they have?"

"Perhaps that is a discussion for another time," Ducky proposed, trying to get the conversation back on track.

Gibbs nodded before continuing, "I said I was trying to protect what we had, but apparently she was not worried about that. That was when I pointed out that not once has she asked about Tim. Asked how he was doing, what he was feeling. Things went downhill from there."

Ducky just shook his head in dismay, wondering how bad things had gotten.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Gibbs simply said, "Bad," before explaining what lead to him spending the night in autopsy.

"Now what?" Ducky asked a few minutes after he finished.

"Other than meeting with the Director tomorrow and talking a bit with Tim and Ziva today, I don't know," Gibbs admitted. "I guess just hope that things don't get worse."

Ducky nodded. "For what it's worth, I understand trying to protect what you have. What you have built with the MCRT, with many of us at NCIS is incredulous. You took three agents that have little in common, and have created a family that also includes a Goth forensic scientist, a wise, young-at-heart ME and his assistant. Hopefully this storm will pass and we will be stronger because of it."

"We can only hope," Gibbs agreed.

"It is rather curious that she never blamed Ziva," Ducky commented suddenly.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, "Abby does not know that Ziva was the one who spilled the beans."

"Nor does she know that Ziva is Timothy's girlfriend," Ducky said, seeking confirmation from Gibbs who nodded in reply. "Yes, well, that will make things rather interesting once the truth comes out."

Gibbs snorted at the understatement before the two once more fell silent.

* * *

Gibbs exited the elevator and proceeded towards his desk, stopping when he saw one of his agents already at work. "Tim," he greeted, standing in front of the young man's desk.

"Hey," Tim replied, looking up at his boss. "Um, did I miss a call out?"

Gibbs frowned, wondering why he thought that, "No, why?"

"You're wearing the same clothes as yesterday," Tim explained, still eyeing his boss.

"Oh," Gibbs responded, not knowing what to say next, how to explain why he ended up staying there all night. He didn't want to share his conversation with Abby to his team, not wanting to rile them up even more.

"It's okay," Tim reassured him. "You don't have to tell me."

"Thanks," Gibbs replied as he continued to his desk.

Catching him glance at his go bag, Tim said, "You know, if you want to go downstairs and change, grab a shower even, I'll be fine."

Gibbs looked up, his gaze automatically going to the two empty desks.

"I'll be fine," he repeated, "Even if or when they come in," he reassured the older man.

"Right," Gibbs agreed, picking up his go bag and moving till he once more stood in front of Tim's desk. "Have you decided anything yet?"

"Kinda," Tim reluctantly admitted, not saying anything else on the subject.

Gibbs nodded his understanding, "Have you talked to Ziva yet?"

"No."

He nodded again, not pursing the topic. "I need to tell the Director about this," he informed his agent. "I have an appointment with him tomorrow evening. I had wanted to give you as much time as you needed to figure this out, but I recently realized that I cannot keep this from him as I originally wanted."

"Okay," Tim replied, surprised that the Director hadn't demanded any answers yet.

* * *

When Gibbs returned to the bullpen, only Tim and Ziva were present, both focused on cold case files. Without a word, he sat at his desk, predicting that today was going to be another long and quiet day.

Shortly after, Tony arrived, with a cheery greeting for everyone before he too quietly settled into his desk. All four of them diligently worked with only the sound of paper rustling, keyboards clacking, or phones beeping heard from their desks.

After an hour of the surreal quietness, Gibbs stood, eager to take a break from the stifling atmosphere of the bullpen. Pausing by Ziva's desk, he gave a quick jerk of his head before walking away. A few minutes later, Ziva left the bullpen as well.

"Yes?" she asked once she caught up to him.

"You need to talk to him," Gibbs informed her. "You can't let it go on like this for much longer."

"But you,"

"I know," he replied. "I hoped he would at least figure out that part of it by now. That he hasn't said _anything_ to you yet worries me," he admitted. "I don't want what Tony and Abby did to ruin your relationship, friendship," he added when she eyed him suspiciously, "With Tim."

She nodded.

"I am pardoning you from that edict," he stated, making sure she understood. "If he doesn't initiate anything by the end of the workday, you try," he ordered.

"I will," she eagerly agreed before returning to the bullpen. After grabbing some coffee, Gibbs did the same, ready to spend the next few hours the same way they had spent the first.

* * *

It was close to lunch time when Tony lifted his head from his desk, only to find that he and Tim were alone in the bullpen. Not knowing when that would change, he wasted no time in once more trying to talk to his partner.

"Hey," Tony greeted as he stared at Tim. "Have you decided anything yet?"

Tim just looked at him for a moment before getting back to work.

"Oh, come on, Probie. Surely it's not too much to ask to know what's going to happen," Tony exclaimed.

Tim turned and glared at him, "I can tell you what's _not_ going to happen," Tim replied. "I promise that I won't track the GPS in your car or phone; look into your credit card records or phone calls; I won't break into your apartment or-"

"Fine, I get it," Tony snapped. "You don't want to share."

Tim hid a grin as he got back to work.

"At least tell me that you're not leaving," Tony begged, "That you'll give us, me another chance?"

Tim glared at Tony before slowly counting to ten. He knows what he would like to say to the older agent, he also knows that he shouldn't, that it wouldn't help the situation any.

"Tony, if I leave, this will be a major reason why," Tim slowly admitted. "You have no respect for me. Not for my abilities as an agent, or even as my rights as a fellow human being. You constantly want to know everything about my life and even when I say that I don't want to speak of it, you won't let go. You constantly mock and ridicule everything I tell you or that you learn about me.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, you try to connive an introduction to my friend by staging car trouble, you then proceed to break into my apartment when I didn't answer the door. After that, you staked out my apartment and took pictures, sharing those pictures with others," Tim added.

"So, you tell me, Tony, if you were me, would you stay? Would you want to? Could you work with someone like that? Can you give me one reason _why_ I would want to work with you? How many chances should someone be given? And how many have I already given you?" Tim asked.

"Tim…" Tony began mournfully before stopping and just looking at his partner.

When nothing else was said, Tim just turned back to his work, not saying another word.

* * *

Gibbs looked up from the file he was reviewing and paused for a moment, his gaze automatically scanning the room. As the afternoon slipped by, the tension in the bullpen increased. Once more it was obvious that something happened, even though no one was saying a thing.

Gibbs sighed, wondering how things went from bad to worse so quickly. He stood up and walked away, knowing that this couldn't continue. Tomorrow it will be different, he decided. Either way, things will change, especially once meets with Vance. With any luck, Tim and Ziva will have their relationship straightened out and he could find out what else happened with McGee and Tony. Hopefully they can start working on repairing and rebuilding their relationships.

* * *

2-14-19 (still Villaintine's Day)  
Bonus! Because I love you :)

Speaking of Bonuses: Here's what Tim _really_ wanted to say to Tony...

 _"How could you possibly think I would tell you anything? Why would I want to? How many chances have I given you? How many times have I forgiven or forgotten the things you've done?" Tim asked, turning on the SFA. "I knew you were loud, childish, spiteful, and selfish, but I always thought you would have my back. After what I learned the other night, I don't know if I can blindly believe that anymore._

 _"You might not have been a friend, but you were my partner. The fact that you followed me trying to find out who I was in a relationship with is beyond absurd. You have done some stupid things before, but this…" Tim's voice trailed off and he shook his head. "It would be stupid of me to believe that you will change or stop such behaviors and truthfully," he said, meeting Tony's eyes, "I am sick of waiting for that day to come."_


	75. Wed Mar 15 Scene of the Crime (J75)

Not Beta'd; standard Disclaimer applies

* * *

"Hey, Ducky," Tim greeted the older man as he entered autopsy. "I brought you some treats for you to have with your tea," he added, holding out a small box from a local bakery.

"You didn't have to do that, Timothy."

Tim shrugged, "Wanted to thank you for all your help this week," he replied. "And I didn't want you to think I was taking you for granted."

"Hmm, Rule 8, I believe," Ducky commented.

"Yeah," Tim agreed.

"Well, then, I insist you join me," Ducky stated firmly, pulling over a chair for his young friend.

Timothy gave him a smiled as he eagerly agreed.

"How are things going?" Ducky asked a few minutes later when it was evident that his companion wouldn't be initiating the conversation.

Tim shrugged, "Slowly figuring things out."

"Oh?" he queried, "Anything I can help you with?"

"You already have," Tim admitted, "Just knowing that you are available to talk to has been a great help. That and helping me realize that time travel isn't the answer," he grinned.

Ducky grinned back at him, "I think you would've figured that out on your own."

"Maybe," he agreed dismissively. "But you did help, reminding me to be true to myself, that _I_ would have to live with whatever decision I made, for allowing me to think about _me_ during this and not everyone else as I usually do."

Ducky smiled, glad that he had helped his friend. "And have you? Thought about you I mean?"

"Yeah, kinda," he admitted. "I…Gibbs said something to me yesterday about the rules that made me think that would be a good basis for figuring things out, I mean, all of us know those rules."

"Very true," Ducky replied taking a sip of his tea and picking up a cookie, "And that is what led you to offer these?"

Tim shrugged sheepishly before talking about the rules he felt were broken.

After listening to Tim talk about the rules he felt were involved, which, by his count was close to ten, Ducky decided to play Devil's advocate. "And Rule 3? Have you double checked?"

Tim scrunched up his nose, "Not really," he admitted, "Haven't talked to Ziva or Abby at all since this happened. Though, Tony didn't deny it when I mentioned some of the things to him."

"Oh? So you talked with Tony?"

"Not intentionally," Tim admitted before explaining, "I didn't initiate it," he added before sharing the few conversations he had with Tony the last few days.

"I do have to say that the relationship between yourself and Anthony is an interesting one," Ducky commented. "You have been both a blessing and a hinder for our Anthony."

"What?" Tim asked in surprise.

"You took everything Anthony threw at you and rarely retaliated," Ducky shared. "You turned the other cheek only to have insults, comments, and pranks heaped on that side as well."

"I get it," Timothy injected, "I was stupid and weak."

"Oh, Timothy, you are anything _but_ weak," the doctor reassured the young agent. "Nor were you stupid or naïve or any other derogatory adjective you can think of. What you are is something rare and wonderful in this world. Kind, caring, loving, forgiving. Never be ashamed of those traits, never let anyone make you ashamed of them, either," Ducky rebuked, continuing before Tim could respond. "How much worse would things be if you had retaliated at the slightest provocation? The bullpen would have been a warzone," Ducky added, his tone serious.

"Dear Caitlyn didn't accept any of Anthony's antics either," he revealed. "She often gave as good as she got, but that was _her_ nature," Ducky pointed out. "She wasn't an older sibling. As the youngest of five, three of them brothers, who I believe she once described as practically psychotic, she was probably more adept than Anthony in dealing with puffed up jocks."

Tim smiled as he remembered some of the things Kate had said and done to Tony.

"You were used to the role of older brother, yes, you tease and joke around, but you do not try to hurt. Your role was that of one trying to protect others, being the first to defend them, to help them, giving them whenever, whatever was needed," Ducky noted.

"Our Ziva is like Caitlin in many ways, honest, direct, quite quick to speak her mind," Tim had to snort at that last one, since that was partly what got them into this situation.

"That is why the team has been as successful as it has been. Before Caitlin, yourself, and Ziva, Gibbs and Anthony were a two person team. Not because the work wasn't there," he pointed out, "But because no one could mesh with them. Then Caitlin appeared, and soon afterwards, yourself.

"And you do add something special to the team, and not just technical support," he added, pointedly glaring at Tim, as if knowing what he was thinking.

"However, over time, as you and unfortunately, every else, continued to overlook Tony's behavior, he began to think that it was acceptable, and any boundaries he might have had were quickly lost."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with our relationship?"

"Because in Anthony's eyes, you, Timothy McGee," Ducky said making sure to meet Tim's gaze, "Are his best friend and brother."

Tim stared at Ducky, his jaw opened in shock.

"I…no," Tim denied firmly. "You don't treat a _friend_ the way he treats me, and you especially do not treat a best friend or brother that way."

Ducky leaned back in his chair and patiently sipped his tea.

"You just don't," Tim repeated.

Ducky shrugged, "If you have never had either, how would you know how to treat them?" He softly asked.

Tim snorted, "Okay, I get that Tony never had a _real_ brother, but he talks of his fraternity brothers all the time. So, obviously he's had friends."

"Has he?" Ducky asked rhetorically, taking another slow sip of tea. "Acquaintances, yes. Fellow students, people to hang out with, team mates he plays ball with, yes. But a real friend? Someone who would give you the shirt off your back? I do not believe he has."

"…" Tim's mouth open and shut. He truly did not know what to say, how to respond.

"Our Anthony has intimacy issues," Ducky explained, "Not sex," he clarified, suspecting what his companion was thinking, "But rather allowing himself the ability to be close to another emotionally, to be vulnerable. To really allow someone the opportunity to get to know him, rather than the masks and facade he hides behind."

Tim just stared at the older man, still not sure what to say.

"Just think about that," Ducky suggested, before changing the topic. "Now, you said you haven't spoken to Abby yet?"

"No," Tim replied automatically, his mind still focused on what Ducky had to say regarding Tony. Shaking his head, he continued, "She's called… _a lot_ ," he stressed, rolling his eyes, "but I've sent it to voicemail. She hasn't left any messages," he added.

"I understand your reluctance to see her," Ducky admitted, "But don't you think that you owe it to her to give her a chance?"

Tim shook his head. "I can imagine how it would go," he predicted. "She'll call me Timmy, or Bad McGee," he added. "Tell me that none of it was her fault, that we had to be friends again, for the sake of the team. Then she'll say that she'll accept my apology. Usually she would make a reference to Gibbs and being his favorite, but this time," Tim shrugged, "he seems to be on my side, at least right now," he added. "Of course, after his meeting with the Director, who knows?"

"You could be right," Ducky replied, and unless something happened to give her attitude a major realignment, he suspected Timothy's prediction would be right on the money. "But still, wouldn't part of you always wonder?"

Tim shrugged again, not deigning to reply. Abby was one part of this equation that he definitely hadn't figured out yet.

The two continued partaking their tea and sweets in silence for a few minutes.

"What do you _want_ to happen?" Ducky finally asked.

Tim hesitated, meeting the other's man's gaze, seeking reassurance that whatever he shared wouldn't go beyond the two of them.

"I will not speak of this to anyone," Ducky promised with a nod of his head, understanding what Tim needed to hear.

"I want to be respected," he admitted. "To _feel_ respected, personally and professionally.

"Teasing and joking, I can handle," he admitted. "And most of Tony's nickname's I don't mind," he added. "But the constant curiosity, the relentless questions, especially regarding my private life, not to mention everything he has done the last few weeks," he stopped and shook his head. "He didn't just bend the line, he broke it," Tim pointed out.

"I would like an apology," he admitted. "An actual, full apology. You know, 'I'm sorry for blah blah blah. I know it's against the rules, but," he shrugged, "Gibbs has offered them before, so obviously exceptions can be made. I think this should be one of them. A sincere apology, one that he means, that shows that he _knows_ what he did was wrong and that he won't do it again. To me, an apology is also indicative of respect," Tim stopped for a moment, letting thoughts race through his head.

"That is actually what I have been waiting for," Tim finally admitted, both to the older man and to himself. "I have no expectations of garnering that from Abby. I am sure she sees absolutely nothing at all wrong with what she has done, but Tony," he paused and shook his head, "I actually thought he was better than what his recent actions have shown."

"And Ziva?"

Tim smiled; unaware of how much he was giving away with that simple gesture. "I know she will apologize, in fact, I believe that she has already tried. There are still some things I need to figure out before we talk, and," he rolled his eyes, "I admit that I was actually hoping to have Tony's part in this settled before the she and I talked, but…" he gives another shrug, "I don't know how much longer she will let this go, especially with the deadline of Gibbs's meeting with Vance tomorrow."

"And if you do get that apology from Anthony? What then?"

Tim opened his mouth to answer when their conversation was abruptly ended by the ringing of a phone that could be heard throughout autopsy.

* * *

Gibbs shook his head as he observed his team. Ziva and Tony kept checking the time, both apparently eager for the work day to end. Ziva he understood, after all, she had orders to try to talk to Tim if the man in question hadn't said anything to her by the end of the day. Tony, however, Gibbs wasn't sure what he was so eager for. He groaned as a thought hit him. Tony probably had a date tonight, meaning that, once again, he forgot about the quarterly agent meeting.

He was pretty sure that Ziva hadn't forgotten about it, even with everything else going on. He just suspected that she was hoping to talk to Tim before the meeting, perhaps over a quick dinner? And even if she had forgotten, he knew Tim wouldn't have. Tim rarely forgot meetings, or appointments, or seminars. Gibbs knew Tim would remind her. Of course, that wouldn't help Tony.

"Hey," he called, garnering his agents' attention, "If we don't get called out on a case by 1730, you guys are free to go. Just remember to be back here by 1930 for the quarterly meeting," he reminded them, making sure to meet Tony's eyes. Surprisingly, his SFA didn't appear to be put out at that announcement.

Quickly, all three agents agreed to the terms before once more getting to work, Tony and Ziva both still keeping an eye on the clock.

"Boss?" Tim asked, causing Gibbs to look up and notice the agent standing in front of his desk. Gibbs raised an eyebrow, wondering if this meant that Tim had come to a decision. Nothing triggered the old thought process like a pending meeting with the Director, Gibbs thought in amusement. "I was wondering if I could go downstairs to see Ducky for a bit," he continued quietly. "I wanted to thank him for his support."

Looking at his other two agents who were paying way to much attention to this interaction he nodded, causing Tim to retrieve something from his desk before turning to leave. When Tony opened his mouth to make a comment, Gibbs just looked at him and glared, causing him to snap his mouth shut and get back to work.

Smirking, Gibbs did the same, and was soon lost in the file on his desk. Taking a moment to stretch, Gibbs noticed that Tim hadn't returned yet. Part of him couldn't help but be worried, wondering if perhaps he ran into Abby on the way to/from autopsy or perhaps even _in_ autopsy. It wouldn't be the first time Abby tried to find supporters among the team. Just as he was wondering if he should contact Ducky to make sure everything was all right, his phone rang.

Gibbs sighed as he gave the appropriate response and took notes. He had hoped everything would be resolved or at least out in the open before they had gotten another case. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be. It also meant that most likely, Tim and Ziva could not settle things between themselves this evening.

Of course, he had bigger things to worry about. First, was how well his team could work together with the feelings of anger and distrust between them. Second was trying to figure out how to divide the team and assign tasks. Definitely can't put Tim and Tony together. Tim, usually mild-mannered could quite possibly attack Tony if the older man once more opened his mouth. And Gibbs knew Tony wouldn't stay silent.

Tim and himself wouldn't be a bad combo, Gibbs realized. They had already talked earlier today, so Tim wouldn't be nervous that Gibbs would mention anything. Of course, the two of them together would mean Tony and Ziva were paired up. A recipe for disaster right now, Gibbs realized. Until she and Tim were speaking again, she would continue being mad at herself, as well as Tony for causing the situation.

He sighed, he had to pair Tim and Ziva and himself and Tony if he wanted to avoid bloodshed. The former pair could work well together. Ziva wouldn't say anything to upset Tim more than he was and Tim wouldn't do anything to hurt Ziva either, at least, not normally, Gibbs amended, realizing that these were far from normal circumstances.

"Grab your gear," he called as he hung up the phone. "And call Tim and Ducky," he continued before adding their assignments.

* * *

"No short cuts this time?" Ziva asked, finally breaking the silence between the two of them. Her eyes briefly glanced over towards him before reverting back to the road.

"No."

She tried not to flinch at the terse, succinct reply. "Tim,"

"Not now, Zee, please?" he begged. "I know we need to talk, but I don't want to be distracted by anything that was said between us while we are in the field. Things are going to be challenging enough with everything that has happened. We owe it to each other and our team mates to be focused. We can't get distracted, if we do, it doesn't matter what we say, Gibbs would have both our hides _and_ our jobs."

Realizing the truth of his words, she simply nodded, but she couldn't help but want something more.

"I promise that we will talk," he vowed, making sure not to look at her. " _After_ I figure things out, not necessarily after the case," he added.

"Okay," she reluctantly agreed. "And Timothy," she added, as she finally parked the van next to Gibbs's sedan, "Remember, I am on your side. I'm _always_ on your side, and I'll always have your back," she said reiterating the promise he once made to her before exiting the vehicle. It wasn't quite the apology she wanted to give him, but hopefully it was a start.

"'Bout time you two showed up," Tony called out gleefully as he approached to help with the equipment. "What, Ziva? You let Probie drive to earn some points?"

"Tony," Ziva warned.

"She drove," Tim injected.

"Ah," Tony muttered in realization. "So, she had to pull over because you got sick."

Tim just shook his head as he grabbed a couple of cases and walked towards Gibbs.

"Really, Tony," Ziva hissed, "How the hell is that helping?"

"What? I'm just acting normal."

"Like a normal jerk," she spat, shoving a case at him. "Remember the rumors Abby heard? About people surprised that McGee hadn't left earlier?"

"Yeah," a confused Tony admitted.

" _This_ is why people expected him to leave. Not because he couldn't handle the job, but because he wouldn't want to handle _you."_

Tony snorted, as if anyone would really believe that. They have worked together for five years now. "Well, obviously they were wrong and Tim can handle me just fine," he retorted before frowning. "That didn't come out right," he admitted, not sure how to rephrase it. "You know what I mean," he added.

A sharp whistle cut off Ziva's response. "DiNozzo, David, you guys gonna join us? Gibbs called, glaring at them.

"Coming, Boss," Tony replied, rushing over to the body, Ziva on his heels. They arrived in time to hear Gibbs ask a familiar question.

"Cause of death, Duck?"

"Take your pick, he was stabbed and shot," Ducky replied, pointing to the wounds. "I cannot give you the exact cause of death right now, I'll know more after I get him on my table."

Gibbs nodded before sending his team off with their specific assignments.

"Hey, does this remind anyone of something?"

Tim groaned as he wondered what movie Tony was thinking of.

Ziva frowned and looked around, "Another crime scene?"

"Huh," Tony paused in thought, "Now that you mention, it, yeah. But I was actually thinking of the movie Gladiators, this place looks an awful lot like the Roman Colosseum."

Tim snorted, the building was oval in shape with alcoves cut into the ground floor, which was actually a large outdoor common area. It also only had one additional floor and no seating, so really did not resemble the ancient amphitheater in his opinion. Either way, it didn't remind him of any previous crime scenes. "What crime scene?" he asked before he could prevent himself.

"Our last crime scene," Tony stated as if it should be obvious. When he received looks of confusion, he clarified, " _Roman_ coliseum, _Roman_ emperor Julius Caesar."

Tim bit his tongue from commenting that Caesar was more of a dictator but an emperor, but let it go, knowing it wasn't important.

"Seriously," Tony continued, "What are the odds of two Italian connections in one week? Let alone back to back?"

Ziva rolled her eyes, "Keep talking and it will be _three_ dead Italians," she muttered.

Tony frowned, "Neither one of our victims were Italian, just the setting and names were Rome related."

"Oh, sorry," Ziva responded sweetly, "Just one dead Italian, then, _DiNozzo_ ," she stressed.

"Hey," he protested, picking up on her meaning.

"Get to work," Gibbs called, prompting all of them to get back to their tasks.

* * *

Tony looked at the clock and sighed, he definitely wouldn't be having drinks with Ziva tonight to discuss everything. Considering it was now 'quitting' time and they were just returning from the crime scene, he didn't think they would be leaving at all tonight. Of course, that could be a good thing, he suddenly realized.

"Hey, boss, if we're working the case tonight, that means we get out of the quarterly meeting, right?" he asked.

Gibbs just glared at him.

"Not that that's an incentive not to solve the case before then," Tony added. "But say we did solve it in record time, we would still have to complete our reports first, right? Finish them while everything was fresh in our minds, right?"

Tim snickered as he thought about the program that he believes everyone but Tony is aware of to help with their reports.

"What are you laughing at, Probie? You can't be looking forward to that meeting any more than I am, especially since it's _Wednesday_."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow wondering at that significance before noticing that both Tim and Ziva turned away, the former blushing as he did so.

"Oh, ho," Tony exclaimed, seeing Tim's reaction. "Did you hope for something special to happen tonight? Perhaps made plans to get together _after_ the meeting?"

Tim just ignored him and got to work on the case.

"Did she know about the meeting? I mean she's not going to be waiting for you to appear with dinner is she? How about the case? Did you let her know we got a case and that you probably won't be home tonight?"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled, "Get to work so all of us can get home," he snapped, glaring at his SFA.

* * *

2-15-19

It seems like some of you really don't want a redeemed Tony or Abby, while others might not care as long as Tim doesn't just forgive and forget...

What rules do you think Tim thought of in regards to Tony, Abby and even Ziva & Gibbs? I mentioned a couple  
(directly or indirectly) in the chapter. BTW, AmyV24, wow! you pretty much got the same rules listed as I did...but what is 42b?

On another note...Hmm, I've been reading the reviews and part of me can't help but think 'OMG, they are going to kill me!' Maybe not in regards to this chapter, but later ones...oh yeah. Some of the things you guys mention, well, I can't help but mentally apologize :)


	76. Wed-Thurs Mar 25-26 Reverting (J76)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Wed-Thurs Mar 25-26 Reverting (J76)

* * *

Gibbs watched as his team silently got to work on pulling information from their victim's life in order to track down his killer. For the first time since Monday, the tension had eased. Things almost seemed to be back to normal. Ziva threatening Tony with a paper clip; Tony teasing Tim about the case and talking about his 'theories'; Tim working diligently on background and financials, trying to find a motive or suspect.

Of course, Gibbs realized, watching as Ziva deliberately picked up a paper clip and twirled it between her fingers, making sure to catch Tony's eye, not everything was lighthearted. As he said, the tension had eased, not disappeared completely, but he was confident that his team would continue to work together, allowing him to break free to grab a coffee before he popped into the quarterly meeting. He would excuse his team from attending, but since he was in the building, Gibbs would need to make an appearance, at least for a few minutes.

* * *

Tim looked up from his computer, noticing the absolute silence that was present around him. He was unused to that in the bullpen and his instincts seemed to scream that something was wrong. Taking a look around, he noticed that he and Tony were the only ones present. A glance at the clock had him realizing that Gibbs had no doubt gone to the meeting, of course, that didn't explain Ziva's absence, he thought as he looked at her empty desk. Nor did it explain why Tony hadn't said anything to him despite the fact that the two of them were alone and quite possibly have been for a while.

As he looked at the older man, Tim remembered the conversation that had taken earlier in the bullpen.

"She knows about the meeting," Tim suddenly spoke, answering Tony's question from a few hours ago, all the while keeping his eyes on his computer screen.

Tony's head jerked up at those words, not sure how to react to Tim initiating a conversation between them, especially one that seemed to be about his girlfriend. "Oh," he replied, thinking about that conversation. "So did you guys move your mid-week date to last night then?"

Tim shook his head.

That surprised Tony, he couldn't imagine a love sick Probie missing an opportunity to spend time with his lady love, "Why not? Did she have to work?"

Tim hesitated before swiveling his chair and meeting Tony's gaze, "If you really want to know, we have not spoken since Monday."

Another frown, "Why not? Sure she hasn't been _that_ busy. I know you haven't been," he added.

"Monday," Tim repeated slowly, his eyes hardening as they continued to look at Tony, "The day I found out you've been spying on me, trying to spy on us to find out who she is so you could break us up."

Tony stared at Tim as he began to protest, "Whoa, wait a minute, Probie. _I_ wasn't trying to break you up, that was a mistake on Abby's part."

" _That_ was a mistake?" Tim repeated incredulously, eyebrows raised before he returned his attention to his computer.

"I didn't mean it like that," Tony rolled his eyes. "We shouldn't have done any of it."

Tim didn't say a word, didn't even look in Tony's direction at that admission, just froze as if he was waiting for Tony to say something more. That was so close to an apology, to saying it wouldn't happen again, Tim thought, but no, nothing else was said.

Finally having enough of the silence, Tony asked, "So, you told her? I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, after all, she was your friend long before you fell in love with her and you seemed to tell her a lot about what goes on around here. I suppose this isn't really any difference. Plus," Tony paused a moment, "It did involve her. I suppose if you didn't tell her and she somehow found out about it later, that wouldn't help you any."

"She knows," Tim confirmed, not saying anything else on the subject.

"Huh…and she's mad at you because of our actions?" Tony questioned. "That sucks."

Tim just shrugged, not wanting to give anything away.

"I hate that we might have ruined this for you," he admitted. "You know, if there is anything I can do to help," Tony offered sincerely. "Maybe I should bring in a flower bouquet for you to present to her?"

Tim snorted, "I don't think flowers can fix this," he replied once more returning to work, leaving Tony to his own thoughts.

* * *

As soon as Gibbs returned from his brief appearance at the quarterly meeting, he asked his team what they had.

"I've got nothing," Tony reluctantly admitted. "No wife, no estranged family members, no apparent enemies, he seemed to be model sailor," he added. "This guy seems squeaky clean, a boy scout like McGoo here, well, with the exception that we don't know where he was living. I'm telling you, that's the key, that's his deep dark secret," Tony added. On the way back to the crime scene, Gibbs and Tony had stopped by the address listed in their victim's naval file, unfortunately, nothing was there. Literally, nothing, the place was empty as if no one was living there and hadn't for a month. Of course, that had Tony creating new theories, like their victim being a spy, or perhaps living with a girlfriend, or even better, a boyfriend and using the cheap apartment as a cover. "Other than that, all I have is the Roman connection. Are we sure we got the right guy in the Julius Caesar case and that these two aren't connected?"

Tim rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond to Tony's question. "I think I have his correct address," Tim added, handing Gibbs a piece of paper. "Last month he filed a change of address form with the Navy. The date entered was done using," Tim began before cutting himself off. He knew that Gibbs didn't care _why_ it was wrong, just that it was. "Anyway, it was entered into the system incorrectly, giving us his previous residence as his last known address. I called the landlord and he confirmed that it is his current residence."

"Good work," Gibbs replied and patted Tim on the back as he walked by. "McGee, let's go," he said, as he continued to head towards the elevator, Tim racing after him.

* * *

It didn't take long after they were gone for Ziva to confront Tony, paper clip in hand. She had been waiting to do this ever since the senior agent opened his mouth at the crime scene. "Tony! What the hell are you doing? Why can you not act like a decent human being? You are acting like you normally do, the nicknames, the teasing comments. Have you not learned anything from the last few days?" Ziva hissed at him.

"I've learned a lot these last few days," Tony snapped in reply. "Including the fact that Ti- _McGee_ doesn't trust me, never has, except in the field and right now, might not even do that because of what I have done; that he has _never_ considered me a friend, and apparently doesn't care or want me as one, and most likely would be perfectly content if I wasn't a part of his life.

"I've learned that I may have ruined the best things in my life, my relationship with those I think of as family, my job. I don't know what to say or do to fix any of this and I don't know how to react to it either," he admitted.

"When I can't deal with things, I revert to what's comfortable, what's known. In this situation that means acting like I did before in order not to think about those things. I'm sorry if that offends you, but tough," he added the last sarcastically. "We're in the middle of a case here and while it might not seem dangerous, I'll be damned if I'm so focused and caught up in everything that's happening with the team that something happens to one of my partners because my head isn't screwed on right. I might have already ruined my best friend's love life, and destroyed our family, but I'm not about to let anyone _die_ because I wasn't on top of my game," he bitterly concluded.

Ziva stared at him as he talked about what he was thinking and feeling, the honest emotion emitting from him defusing her anger. A few minutes after he finished speaking, she shared what was on her mind. "I do not know if you can fix things," she reluctantly admitted. "Too much might have happened; too much time may have passed. The only chance you have is to 'man up' as they say. You could start by being real with him with us, getting rid of your masks. Maybe not all the time," she added sensing his panic, "But at least occasionally. Reverting back to how you behaved before just makes it appear like you do not care how all of this has affected us; as if _we_ are in the wrong because we are offended or hurt by your actions," she added.

Giving him one last look, she simply said, "Rule 45," before turning and walking away.

* * *

Gibbs was pleased that Ziva and Tony survived being left alone in the bullpen while he and Tim searched their victim's residence. When the two had returned to the Navy Yard they immediately dropped the confiscated items off at the evidence garage, before returning to the bullpen empty handed.

" _Nothing_?" Tony whined, "I was hoping McGeek would at least have a computer he could start searching to find some leads."

"I do," Tim admitted, as he continued towards his desk.

Tony eyed him, "A very small computer, apparently."

"It's in lock up," Gibbs informed the team before Tim could speak. "It's late. Go home, get some rest and be back here by 0700 to get to work," he ordered as he sat in his chair and glared at his team until they got moving.

Tim gave a soft smile to the team and a softly whispered, "Night," as he grabbed his bag and jetted for the stairs. Ziva's eyes following him until he was out of sight before she picked up her own belongings and headed to the elevator where she met Tony, the two sharing the car.

"You still up for that drink?" Tony asked.

"Not really," Ziva admitted, "And it is getting late."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," Tony gave her a smile, he had expected that. "Hey, don't worry, things will be fine," he added, trying to get her to smile.

She turned and glared at him, "How can you possibly say that? What mak-"

"We worked well together today," Tony injected, cutting off her words. "Really well. Makes me think that there's hope, that we will all survive this."

She eyed him suspiciously, wondering if more was going on. Knowing Tony, he was plotting and planning something.

"And Abby?" she asked, "How was she when you and Gibbs brought in the evidence earlier?" Even though she and Tim had driven the van back to the yard from the crime scene, Gibbs had told the two not to head to the lab, but to log all evidence into the garage and to leave it there.

Tony shrugged, "She didn't actually have much to say."

"Not even to her partner in crime?"

"You make us sound like Bonnie and Clyde," he said rolling his eyes. "I don't know _why_ Abby did what she did, what made her think it was okay,"

"Perhaps because you were there egging her on," Ziva snapped, causing Tony to look at her when she got that idiom correct. "If you had disagreed with her actions, you should have said something to prevent her from doing it."

"Hey, I didn't know what she was going to do," he protested. "The first I heard about it was _after_ she had done it and I honestly couldn't believe that she had," he admitted. "I never expected that she would try it _again_."

"Hmph," Ziva huffed as they exited the elevator and began walking towards their cars.

"Look, Ziva," Tony began.

"Tim," Ziva stated softly.

"Oh, come on," Tony groaned, thinking she was correcting him. "I didn't say anything yet. I didn't call him by a nickname or-"

"No, Tim," Ziva repeated, pointing to the figure standing in the parking lot. Tony looked over and agreed that it appeared to be him.

"Think he's having car trouble again?" he asked with a frown.

"Only one way to find out," she said, decidedly marching over to him, Tony by her side.

"Hey," Tim greeted as they came to a stop a few feet from him.

"Hey," Tony returned. "Car trouble?"

"What? Oh, no," Tim denied once he figured out what the other agent meant. "I was hoping to catch you."

"You me or you her?" Tony asked, pointing to the silent Ziva that was just staring at McGee.

Tim shrugged, "Both, either, you," he admitted.

Tony nodded, "Glad you cleared that up," he snorted, earning a smack from Ziva.

"Ow," Tony hissed, glaring at Ziva.

"I'm sorry," Tim began.

"Tim, you have nothing to apologize for," Ziva raged, glaring at him.

"I do," he countered. "I need to apologize for how long it is taking me to make a decision about this. I…it's just…well, I was worried about making the wrong one, about being selfish, about seeking revenge," he softly admitted. "Don't worry, one way or another, everything will be settled tomorrow," he added.

"I…okay," Tony replied. "But Ziva's right, you don't owe us an apology. You haven't done anything wrong."

Tim just shrugged, not bothering to disagree with that statement. He felt that he did, so he followed his instincts.

"If it wasn't so late, I would suggest we go out for drinks," Tony added.

Tim snorted, "You always suggest drinks," he commented.

"Hey, no one likes to drink alone."

Tim nodded. "Well, good night," he awkwardly said before walking towards his car.

"Hey, Probie, wait up," Tony called as he raced after Tim, Ziva glaring at him at the use of the nickname before she headed to her car.

"I wish that you and your girl weren't having trouble because this," Tony stated, "That's the last thing I wanted," he admitted. "If you love her, really love her, don't let it come between the two of you," he advised.

Tim nodded, "Thanks, hopefully that will be settled tomorrow night as well," he admitted before adding, "I kinda feel like I have to get the work part figured out first."

"I get it," Tony agreed, nodding emphatically. "I have a good feeling about you two kids," he added with a grin before racing off.

Tim just shook his head as he unlocked his car and got in. He wondered how Tony would feel once he found out who she was.

* * *

At 0715 the entire team was at their desks and working. Tim immediately began on the laptop he and Gibbs retrieved from their victim's place the night before. Tony and Ziva were looking into the building where the body was found. Gibbs wanted to know who owned it, who had access to it, what it was used for and basically everyone who knew about it or had been there. They were also to finish following up on the cab driver who called in the scene.

By the time other agents began pouring into the building, the team did not learn anything new. Tim was still plugging away on the victim's laptop, searching for hidden and deleted files and reading emails looking for a motive. In the midst of all this, his desk phone rang. He looked at the display showing the caller's number and saw a familiar extension. Looking up to meet Gibbs' gaze, he noticed that the entire team was staring at him, and said, "It's Abby."

Gibbs sighed, "We do have a case," he reminded his team. "Go," he said to Tim, who packed up the computer and placed it into the evidence bag before sealing it.

"Boss," Tim said when Gibbs waved him over before he left the bullpen.

"You don't have to talk with her about anything not case related if you don't want to," he informed his agent. "Nor do you have to put up with any of her antics," he reminded him. "I got your back," he tried to reassured Tim who nodded as he remembered what Gibbs had said in the past.

"And I'll understand if you want to take a detour before or after seeing her," he added, smirking at the blank expression on his agents face before he left.

* * *

2-16-19

Okay, so next part is pretty much done as well, was going to post it together, but wanted to get this out...I've also read this so many times, that I couldn't do it again, so please let me know if there are many major errors...

Thank you so much for all the reviews, I love reading them.

And yes, the end of the story is in sight...


	77. Thurs Mar 26 Rules and Resolution (J77)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies;

* * *

Thurs Mar 26 Rules and Resolution (J77)

* * *

"I'll be right with you Jethro," Ducky called without turning around as he continued with his tasks.

"Take your time, Ducky."

"And you are definitely not Jethro. If the voice didn't give you away, Timothy, the attitude definitely would have," Ducky replied, still not looking at his visitor. "Jethro would never exhibit such patience."

Tim grinned, knowing how true that was. He wasn't sure if this was the detour Gibbs had in mind; knowing the SSA he probably meant a trip to get some coffee, but Tim figured he could use the older man's calming presence more than caffeine before a meeting with Abby.

"So what do you have?" he asked once the doctor was finished and standing before him.

"Neither injury should have killed him if help was available," Ducky sadly informed the young agent. "He was purposely left to bleed out and suffer. No defensive wounds, so I would say the attack happened quickly and was a surprise."

"Suffer?" Tim questioned picking up on the word.

"It wasn't an easy death," Ducky admitted. "Exsanguination can occur within five minutes, unfortunately, that was not the case for our victim. I dare say he was conscious most of the time, as feelings of dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and a headache developed. As the blood loss continued, so did his symptoms, clammy skin, rapid, shallow breathing, lightheadedness, confusion," Ducky continued. "By my estimate, I would say this continued at minimum for a half hour before he finally lost consciousness and passed on."

Tim nodded, silently agreeing that it wasn't a quick or painless death. "Do you think the suffering was done on purpose?" he asked. "You know, part of a revenge thing, or did our killer perhaps believe he was already dead?"

Ducky paused, "Based on what I saw, it is my belief that our victim was first shot then stabbed," the ME shared his findings. "Obviously if the killer was close enough to stab him he was also close enough to know that death was not instantaneous after that injury was inflicted. Whether the suffering was done on purpose to torment or if our killer just ran off afraid he would be caught, I cannot say."

Tim nodded, "Okay, thanks, Ducky," he said, looking at the older man as he internally debated whether or not to say something non-case related.

Ducky met his gaze. He didn't know what the young agent was thinking, but he knew that he had a few things on his mind. "Timothy, I am sorry we did not get to finish our previous conversation," he began.

"That's okay, Ducky, I understand," Tim said giving him an agreeing nod. "We got distracted and then we got the call out, these things happen."

"Yes, they do," Ducky agreed. "But there are two things I wanted to make sure you are aware of. First, let me remind you that anything I say is just the ramblings of an old man. While some of it is based on my vast years of trying to understand human nature, I can be wrong, especially since I do not always have all the necessary information. Basically, what I am telling you is, like any other advice, take it with a grain of salt. You can also feel free to double check," he concluded, pointedly looking at Tim.

Tim nodded his agreement and paused for a moment, "I was thinking about our conversation a bit last night," he admitted. "What did you mean that I was both a blessing and curse to Tony?"

"I believe I said hinder not curse," he corrected with a frown.

Tim just shrugged dismissively.

With a sigh, Ducky decided not to pursue that topic but instead answer Timothy's question. "A blessing because I believe you gave him what he needed, acceptance. Unconditional acceptance. No matter what Anthony said or did, you stayed, you didn't leave or turn him away, you became another constant in his life," the older man pointed out. "A hinder because, as I pointed out previously, every one of us allowed his treatment to not only continue, but to escalate."

"Which leads me to the second thing I wanted you to know," Ducky seamlessly transitioned the conversations. "I wanted to make it clear that in no way do I condone how Anthony has treated you. You do deserve his respect and he should be able and willing to show it, regardless or perhaps because of how he might think of you," Ducky observed. "Even if he now thinks of you as a friend and brother, I know that was not always the case. Anthony should have modified his treatment of you a long time ago. It is a failure on our part that it never happened."

"Ducky," Tim stated slowly, warningly.

"We all saw it, but never said a word," Ducky responded shaking his head. "As they say, 'all it takes for evil to triumph'…" he trailed off.

"I wouldn't call Tony _evil_ ," Tim responded with a grin. "Misguided and juvenile, perhaps, but not evil."

Ducky grinned as Tim headed towards the door. "Still, we should have spoken up, not just for your benefit, or for Anthony's, but the entire teams," he added as the young man left the room.

* * *

"Timmy," Abby cried, glad he came to her lab, knowing he was there to apologize for being so mad and ignoring her the last few days. She looked at him and waited. No way was she going to make this easy for him, not after the way he continued to ignore all of her calls.

"The name is-"

"Tim, I know," she interrupted, rolling her eyes.

"McGee," he corrected.

"What?"

"Only my friends call me _Tim_."

"But I'm-"

"But you're what? You think you are my best friend?" Tim asked harshly. "Right now, I couldn't say I would spit on you if you were on fire," he stated, shocking her with his attitude.

"How can you say that? After all we've meant to each other?" She asked crocodile tears in her eyes. "Anything I _might_ have done I did to try to help you, to protect you. If I didn't do that, who would? You need me," she added smirking at him.

"Like I need a hole in my head," he muttered, a saying his grandmother constantly used.

She glared at him, taking insult at his words. " _I_ helped you get onto this team," she informed him. "Constantly asking for you to come up here from Norfolk so Gibbs would think you had something of value to add to the team."

Tim laughed, at one time he would have believed that. "No, _I_ got myself on the team," he contradicted her. "You called me up here because you wanted an admirer, not because you wanted to help me.

"God, Abby," he cried, pacing back and forth in the lab for a moment before ending where he began, next to the lab door. "How could I have been so wrong about you? The sad part is that deep down, I knew. I knew what you were really like but for years I've excused all that you have said and done in an effort to promote peace and harmony and believing that it wasn't worth the trouble, but you continually took advantage of me, just going further and further. This," he paused, shaking his head as he remembered what Ziva had shared, "tracking my GPS and cell, reviewing my credit card statements and phone logs, this is unforgivable," he declared.

"At this time, the _only_ relationship I want with you is a professional one. We talk only when and if we have to and it is only regarding cases and evidence. Work based conversations only, nothing personal," he added, hoping he got his point across.

"But," a protesting Abby tried again.

"Is this about the case? Do you have anything?" he asked, cutting her off, after all that was the best way to deal with one of Abby's rants, by not letting it get started in the first place.

"Well, no," she admitted, taking a look at her equipment and the table. "But," she continued, turning around only to find the room empty.

* * *

Tim returned to the bullpen without saying a word to anyone about what happened with Abby. He suspected that as soon as he left, Abby had probably called Gibbs to complain about him, he just hoped that Gibbs stayed true to his word about having Tim's back.

Shaking his head, as he sat back down at his desk, he immediately took out the computer and got back to work, realizing that he had wasted enough time today. An hour later after reviewing and deciphering their victim's email, he got an idea. "Boss?" he quietly called, not wanting to attract too much attention, especially if his idea didn't pan out.

"Yeah, McGee?"

"I...look," he said, waving the older man over to his screen. "I found a couple of cryptic emails, from what I deciphered, I think they might be from the man who killed our sailor last night."

"And he is?"

"I don't know," Tim reluctantly admitted. "It's rerouted from multiple servers that are-" he paused, knowing that Gibbs didn't want to hear about the technical aspects, just the bottom line. "I haven't been able to figure it out yet, not sure if I will, but," he quickly added before Gibbs could ask why he was called over, "I think I can get into _his_ email account. It might not tell me who he is, but perhaps we can track him a different way?" he offered.

Gibbs nodded, "Do it," he ordered before returning to his own desk.

It was over an hour later when Tim leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile. A half hour after that, he grinned in triumph.

"Geesh, Probie, what's up with you?" Tony commented. "Did you win the lottery or something?"

"Better," Tim replied with a grin.

"Ask Peggy to officially be your girlfriend?" Tony asked. "Or wife?" When Tim went to open his mouth to answer, Tony cut him off, "And before you say better, you best remember who you are talking to," he teased. "When I do finally get you to introduce us, you know that this will be the first story I share," he added with a smirk.

Ziva glared at him, "Perhaps he solved this case," she suggested. "All our leads with the building owners, the customers, the maintenance crew, all of them fuzzied out."

Tony stared at her repeatedly mouthing the word 'fuzzied' as he tried to figure out what she meant.

"Didn't solve it," Tim admitted, not bothering to correct her, "But I think I have a motive."

"What is that, McGee?" Gibbs asked as he entered the bullpen.

"Drugs," he stated before explaining the original email he decoded and what he found in the sender's email. "I don't know if he really is dealing drugs and just faking it to get the money. He met with our victim yesterday to make a deal. He has another meeting tonight, same place, selling the same drugs, but with a different buyer. If we get there first, when he arrives, we can detain him for questioning, possibly arresting him depending on what we find."

Gibbs nodded, motioning Tim to continue.

"The alcoves should be the perfect place to hide in," he explained, pulling up the blueprints of the building that Tony and Ziva had gotten earlier. "There's only one street entrance, here, and a back entrance from the second floor, here," he stated, pointing on the screen. "We get there early, make sure all the alcoves are clear, the stairs, and the second floor," he informed them. "Two of us remain out of sight, hiding in the alcoves,"

"Two?" Tony questioned, interrupting Tim's explanation. "There _are_ four of us."

"I know, I can count," Tim replied, rolling his eyes. "One of us should stay here, probably on communication. The other," he said looking pointedly at Gibbs, "should have his eyes and a target on the entrance, just in case. The email indicated a one on one meeting, but…" Tim broke off.

"But drug dealers don't always keep their promises," Gibbs agreed, nodding as he thought about the plan. "Okay," Gibbs finally stated, looking at his team, "I'm going to meet with the director. Tim, continue searching to see if we can identify the sender of those emails. The more information we have on who we're looking for, the better. Ziva, get the comms set up."

"And me?" Tony asked.

"Get lunch. If we put this plan into effect, it might be a while before we get a chance to eat again," he called over his shoulder as he took the stairs two at a time.

* * *

"I thought our meeting wasn't until later," Vance said as Gibbs entered his office unannounced.

"It isn't," Gibbs confirmed. "This is about something else."

"I am free right now if you wish to move it up," the director offered.

Gibbs smirked, not surprised that Vance is eager to know what was going on.

"Sorry, case comes first," he replied before explaining the newly formed plan.

After he finished, Vance nodded. "Do you think it will work? If this guy is our murderer, he might play it smart and avoid the scene of the crime."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "Or he could be cocky and not even think that we know about this drop," he replied before answering the first question. "He might not show, or he might not be our killer. For all we know, our victim was killed after he left. But if he does show and we get him, it will be one less dealer on the streets. Hell, he might even be able to lead us to our killer."

Vance nodded, the plan was relatively low risk. "DiNozzo's plan?" he asked.

Gibbs grinned and shook his head, "Nope, Tim's," he said before explaining what he knew about how Tim came up with it.

Vance raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Impressive," he stated, nodding his head. "So, you as lookout and sniper, McGee on comms, Ziva and Tony in the alcoves?"

Gibbs hesitated.

"What?" Vance prodded.

"I was thinking Tony on comms, Ziva and Tim in the alcoves."

Another raise of the eyebrow, "Any particular reason why?"

"Nothing wrong with change," Gibbs stated with a shrug of his shoulders. "Could be good for everyone."

"In other words, I'll find out later tonight during our meeting," he commented dryly.

Gibbs smirked, taking that as permission to change things up.

"You will still be making that meeting, right?" Vance asked. "I really do have the time for us to meet now if you would prefer, wouldn't want you to feel like you had to rush the op."

"The drop is scheduled to happen well before our meeting," Gibbs informed the director. "I should be back here in plenty of time for our meeting. Hell, we might even be able to get all of our reports finished before the appointed time," he said with a smirk.

Vance snorted, "McGee's yeah," he agreed. "Possibly even David's, but DiNozzo's? I'll be surprised if it's done today."

Gibbs laughed but didn't comment.

"And you're sure you don't want to meet now?" Vance asked again. "We can even do so at the coffee shop," he offered, "My treat."

"Can't, got a team to prep and a sting to set up," Gibbs stated as he opened the office door and left.

* * *

After eating the Italian food that Tony picked up, the team headed back to the coliseum like building. There current mission was two fold. One, make sure the building was empty and remained that way until the dealer showed up and two, test out the communication system.

Ziva and Tony did a thorough search of the second floor and stairwell while Tim and Gibbs kept watch on the stairs and building entrances. Once the second floor was cleared, Ziva made sure the door was locked and she and Tim searched the alcoves, making sure no one was concealed in the shadows while Tony kept watch on the entrance. Gibbs had gone to scout some of the locations Tim had mentioned earlier as possible lookout spots. Gibbs, Tim, and Ziva settled themselves into position, all of them aware that it would be at least an hour before their suspect arrived. Tony finally bid them goodbye and returned to the bullpen, keeping an endless flow of conversation going to test the communication equipment they were using.

Once Tony returned to the office, he continued his assigned task of checking on Tim's trace on the sender of the emails. If this plan didn't work, he didn't know what the team would do next since this was the only lead they had been able to find.

Tony wasn't sure if it was lucky or not that the computer did most of the work regarding the trace, since that left him time to think. The conversations he had with Tim and Ziva the last few days kept repeating in his head. Ziva mentioning Rule 45 to him yesterday had gotten him thinking about Gibb's other rules. Specifically the ones he had broken in connection with this situation with Tim. That list was much longer than he would've liked to admit to and he suspected that if he showed the list to Gibbs, the concussion he received due to all the resulting head slaps would just be the start of things.

Knowing he had plenty of time before their suspect would make an appearance, Tony decided to take a walk, grab some fresh air and a coffee and decide on the best course of action. He had an idea in his head, he just wasn't sure whether or not it was a good one. All he knew was that he had to try something.

Twenty minutes later, right after Tony had convinced himself to put his plan into action and had taken the first he ran into Ducky.

"Hey, Ducky," Tony greeted as soon as he saw the older man.

"Anthony," Ducky replied, giving a nod of his head and causing Tony to frown at his tone.

"Look, Ducky," Tony started to explain.

"You don't owe me any explanations," Ducky interrupted. "I was not the one whose world you sent into turmoil by your words and deeds."

"I know," Tony admitted. "And I didn't mean to."

"I didn't suspect that you had," Ducky admitted. "Though it is good to have that confirmed," he added. "However, it still does not take away from what you did. From the consequences your actions have wrought."

Tony closed his eyes as if he could escape those consequences by hiding from them. "I know," he agreed. "I really wish that I had listened to everyone sooner. That I had really heard them. You, Ziva, Gibbs, _Tim_."

"A few years sooner, perhaps?"

"Yeah, that would be optimal, but I definitely would've settled for a few weeks sooner. God, Ducky," Tony cried, "How could I have been such an idiot?"

"Not just you," he replied. "None of us did anything to make sure things were different."

"Perhaps not, but it was _my_ actions, that caused this," he admitted.

"Just yours?" Ducky questioned. "Last I heard you had a partner in crime."

Tony cringed, he was really beginning to hate that phrase. "I can only take responsibility for my own actions," he replied. "I don't know why I was so blind to what I was doing. Looking back now, it's obvious that what I was doing wasn't funny in any way, that I was just hurting him."

Ducky nodded. "They say that hindsight is 20/20."

Tony snorted, "Which doesn't really help me _now_."

"No, but if you remember this moment in the future, it could prevent you from making the same mistakes."

"Somehow I don't think it will be that easy," Tony admitted after he thought about what the older man had said.

"Most things worth having or doing aren't easy," Ducky advised.

"Still doesn't make it any easier," Tony replied, thinking about how effortlessly it was to fall back into his old routine of teasing Tim.

Before another word could be said the ringing of Tony's phone ended the conversation.

"Gotta get this, Ducky," he said as he took the call, heading towards the bullpen. "DiNozzo…Yeah, everyone's in place…comms seemed to be working fine…I would say at least ten minutes….heading there now…okay, I'll make sure that happens," he agreed before disconnecting the call.

* * *

"Excuse me," Vance said, reaching for his ringing phone. His secretary knew he wasn't alone, so he had no doubt that the call was an important one and shouldn't be easily dismissed.

"Vance…Who…Do we know…okay…yes, of course…I will," he said, staring at Tony. "Thank you," he said automatically as he slowly hung up the receiver.

"Director?"

"The suspect is down," he began.

"Nice," Tony grinned, rubbing his hands together as he wondered what happened and who had done it.

"But so is an agent," Vance added softly, still staring at his agent.

"Who?" Tony asked fearfully.

Vance shook his head, "I don't know," he admitted. "We heard the call via the ambulance."

"Damn it," Tony exclaimed, kicking at the chair next to him, "I should've had my comm in."

The director shook his head, "It wouldn't have worked in here anyways," he added. "Besides, I pulled you in and handed overseeing the op to Balboa."

"Balboa," Tony repeated as he started to move toward the office door before realizing who he was about to walk out on.

"Go," Vance ordered, as he picked up his phone. "Check on your team."

"Thank you," Tony said before running out the door to find Balboa.

* * *

2-18-19

So, who's hurt and is it serious? Will it pull the team apart or closer together?

Did Tim seeing Ducky before he saw Abby help him, or did it possibly make things worse? What did you guys think of his interaction with Abby?

Realized that Tony and Ducky haven't spoken since everything happened on Monday, so had to add in a scene that had the two of them running into each other.


	78. Thursday, March 26, Fallen Hero (J78)

Not Beta'd. Standard disclaimer applies.

 _Paragraphs in italics denote flashback/memories._

* * *

Thursday, March 26, Fallen Hero (J78)

* * *

A shout of pain, a gunshot, another cry, those were the only sounds Ziva heard as she took in the scene before her.

"Tim!" Ziva cried forcing herself to hold her position, to follow orders, even as she watched Tim fall. "Agent down, repeat, Agent down," she called over her radio before communicating the location and situation, that the known attacker was also down. Her eyes and gun remained fixed on the perpetrator, lying next to Tim, seemingly unconscious. She wanted to run and check that Tim was okay, still alive, but knew that she shouldn't, at least not yet. Doing so would put her out in the open for an attack, all she could do was wait until backup arrived.

She didn't know what had happened _. One minute, she and Tim were concealed in different alcoves, the next, Tim exited his, gun raised and shouting 'Federal Agent, freeze'. After that everything seemed to be a blur. A figure came running out of one of the alcoves behind Tim and tackled him to the ground, the two wrestling for the upper hand. The good news was that Tim had kept hold of his weapon, unfortunately, since his attacker was behind him, he didn't have a good angle to make a shot._

 _Ziva had kept her eyes and gun trained on the two, ready to fire if a clear shot was possible. Unfortunately, it was not. She almost cheered when Tim was able to flip his attacker, putting them face to face. If Tim could just get his left arm down, he could take that shot, she thought, biting her lip as she watched, her eyes continually scanning the other alcoves for movement._

 _She couldn't figure out how they missed him. How he had come in. No one had entered from the street, nor had she seen anyone come in from the stairs. It was highly unlikely that he was able to sneak past all of them, herself, Tim, and Gibbs, yet none of them had noticed this guy enter. Yet somehow he did, and with devastating consequences._

 _Gibbs. She had barely heard Gibbs talking in her ear, asking what was going on. From his nest he had a view of the street entrance and the immediate area around it, but couldn't see the back or interior of the coliseum, where the fight was happening._

 _"Someone is here," she had informed Gibbs over her comm. "I do not know how he came in, but he exited one of the alcoves and attacked Tim. The two are currently engaged, vying for the upper hand. I do not have a clear shot."_

 _"Do not reveal yourself," Gibbs ordered, "if we missed one, we might have missed more. If you get a sure shot, take it."_

 _"But-"_

 _"Ziva! That's an order. I'm going to call for backup."_

 _"I understand," she replied, her eyes once more tracking Tim and his attacker. Oh! His left arm was moving into position to shoot, she realized in relief, hoping that he would fell his opponent._

Timothy's shout of pain was ringing in her ears as Gibbs continued to order her to remain where she was.

It seemed like hours had passed while she waited. She tried to distract herself, but nothing worked, all she could see was Tim wrestling with the suspect before they both fell. All she could hear was his cry of pain. She never suspected that the case would lead to this. Never would have guessed that their suspect had so much on the line that he would attack a Federal Officer. He was either crazy, suicidal, or figured he had nothing to lose. She did though, she thought sadly, she could lose Tim.

"Hey, he'll be okay," Gibbs stated softly, jostling her out of her thoughts as he pulled her out of her hiding spot in the alcove.

"Gibbs?" she questioned, not even aware that he, backup, and the medics had arrived.

"He'll be okay," Gibbs repeated, patting her shoulder in a rare show of comfort, as he lead her away.

"We haven't really spoken to each other in two days," she admitted. "I was an idiot, broke his trust. The last time he looked at me, really looked at me, it…his eyes," Ziva broke off, "They were so hurt and accusatory, now…"

"He will be okay," he promised.

"He will," Ziva agreed, before softly adding, "but will I? Will _we_?"

"Ah, hell," Gibbs muttered, as he grasped her in a brief, but firm hug. He suspected more was going on than just their plan, what a way to find out he was right. "I'll need a statement from you, with McGee unconscious, you're the only witness." She nodded in agreement. "Do you want to do this now?"

Another nod, "Yes, best to get it done while it's still fresh in my mind and before possibilities," she said, looking at the paramedics wheeling Tim towards the ambulance, "Shade my memories."

Gibbs frowned as he tried to figure out what she meant, however, before he could speak, she added, "Plus, we are alone now, I do not think I could handle any of Tony's comments at this time."

Gibbs followed her gaze, as she stared at the ambulance that McGee was being loaded into. He spent a moment looking between her and the ambulance, he was pretty confident he knew where her mind, and heart, was at. "Go. Ride with them," he ordered. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

"My statement," she protested.

Gibbs gave a soft smile, "It will keep till I get there. I think you need to be with him right now and I'm sure that is what he needs as well."

With another look at him, and a muttered thanks, Ziva raced off towards the ambulance.

Tony pulled up to the building just in time to see Ziva climb into the back of the ambulance before it sped away. Looking around, he quickly located Gibbs and headed in that direction. "She's okay, right? The report said one agent and one suspect down, it didn't mention anything about another agent being injured."

Gibbs nodded, "That report is right," he admitted, not stating why he sent Ziva with McGee.

"Did she give her statement? Do we know what happened?"

"Not yet. I told her I'll get it at the hospital."

"I can get it if you want," Tony offered.

Gibbs shook his head, "Nope, I think it's best that I handle this," he replied to the confusion of his senior agent.

"Do we know anything about what happened?" Tony asked again, deciding not to pursue the topic of Ziva's statement.

"Nothing more than what the evidence tells us," Gibbs admitted. "McGee and the suspect fought, both were injured."

"And McGee's injuries?"

"Ziva mentioned on the comm. that she heard _one_ shot. I know Tim was stabbed, I could see the hilt of the knife," he added. "I believe Tim was able to shoot his attacker, whether that was before or after he was stabbed, I am not sure. I'm just glad Tim was able to put him down, otherwise, there is a possibility the suspect would've killed McGee before going after Ziva."

Tony snorted, "Like he would've had a chance of defeating Ziva. Too bad he didn't attempt to attack her first, then neither would've been hurt."

Gibbs glared at him, "You don't know that."

"Oh, come on, boss, you can't tell me that you honestly believe Ziva would be on her way to the hospital if she had been the one that was first attacked. Ziva would've shot first and asked questions later. Tim probably stopped to introduce himself even after he was stabbed."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled.

"What? You know I'm probably right."

"What I know is that you're acting like an ass, especially considering one of your partners was just taken away by ambulance."

"He'll be fine," Tony stated firmly, though his worried gaze drifted to the road the ambulance had traveled minutes before.

* * *

"Thank you," Ziva said softly when Gibbs approached her in the hospital waiting room. An inquiring lift of an eyebrow the only response she received, "For allowing me to travel with him."

Gibbs shook his head dismissively. "You ready to give that statement now?"

She nodded and began talking about everything that she saw and heard.

"You said his attacker was shot by Tim?" Ziva questioned once she finished, receiving a nod in reply. He had already talked to their suspect's doctor and received a copy of his injuries.

"Why?" Gibbs asked when Ziva frowned in thought.

"I only heard one shot," she replied, her voice expressing her confusion.

"He was only shot once," Gibbs stated.

"Yes, but Tim was shot as well," Ziva explained.

Gibbs paled upon hearing that news. "Where?"

"Right shoulder," Ziva replied. "The paramedics were optimistic that nothing vital was hit, that it was a clean shot."

"And the stab wound?" Gibbs asked.

"His abdomen, I believe that happened right before the gunshot that I heard," she stated, repeating the words she told him earlier. "Tim screamed in pain, then the gunshot, then suspect cried out, then both of them collapsing. I wanted to go to him so badly," she added softly, "But not only did you order me to stand my ground, I knew it was highly unlikely that he was alone. If I stepped away from cover, it was quite possible that I too would be attacked. The best I could do was keep my eyes peeled for any other threats to Tim or myself, including his attacker.

Gibbs nodded, her words causing some alarms to go off in his head, realizing he had some calls to make, he stood, mentioned coffee and asked if she needed anything.

"Tea if possible," she replied.

With a nod, he left. It wasn't long afterwards that Abby entered the waiting room. It was the first time the two woman had been alone since Monday's incident, luckily for Abby, Ziva was too concerned about Tim to focus on anything else, including yelling at the much deserving Goth.

"Any word?" she asked before taking a seat next to Ziva in the waiting room.

She shook her head, looking down at her hands folded in her lap.

"Hey, he'll be fine," Abby reassured her, Ziva gave her a grateful smile. While the scientist might not be her first choice of companion while she waited to hear how Tim was doing, she really didn't want to be alone either.

The doctors hadn't seemed overly concerned, still, until she saw him again, she would worry. "I kno-"

"It's Timmy," Abby continued, overriding Ziva's words, "He never gets seriously hurt."

Ziva stared at her in shock, "How can you say that? He's in the _hospital_."

"It was a knife wound," she replied, dismissively. "Most likely it's just a scratch, at the worse, he'll need stitches."

Ziva swirled and glared at her now unwanted companion, "The knife was embedded in his abdomen to the hilt. I think it is safe to safe that it is more than a scratch. And that he will need more than just _stitches_ , he's been here for two hours already."

As she spoke, Tony approached, both hands holding cups.

"Abby," Tony hissed, warning her to be silent. He could speak firsthand about riling Ziva up, especially when it involved their third partner.

"Here, this is from Gibbs," Tony stated, smiling at Ziva as he handed her the cup of tea, which she gladly accepted. "Tim's probably been in there so long because of all of McSensitive's allergies. He can't handle the good stuff."

Ziva whipped around to stare at him, her eye's narrowing, "What did you say?"

Tony blinked and stepped away from the angry ninja, hands raised in surrender. "Hey, you know I didn't mean anything bad by that, Ziva," he said, meeting her eyes so she could see the sincerity of his words. "I'm just trying to lighten the atmosphere, trying to get things back to normal."

"Normal isn't Tim being in the hospital," she hissed, "In surgery for over two hours."

"That's my point," Tony noted, "he doesn't do hospitals, he'll be fine."

"He will be," Ziva agreed, trying to remain positive. "But who knows the effect this could have on him. The injury to his right shoulder could result in limited mobility, perhaps enough to remove him from the field."

Abby shook her head, "Timmy's just exaggerating his injuries, looking for sympathy. I'm sure it's just a scratch."

Tony shook his head in disbelief as he stared at Abby, just as he was able to restore some balance to Ziva.

Ziva stared at her in horror, not knowing what issue to address. She wanted to scream, to yell, to attack the girl sitting next to her. Taking a deep breath, she just let it out, not really caring if her words made sense. "One: Tim is unconscious, has been since the attack. He has not been able to say a word about his injuries, let alone _exaggerate_ them. The fact that he was still unconscious upon arrival gives credence for concern."

Tony had a look of shock on his face, he had not known that McGee had lost consciousness, let alone never regained it. By the time he had arrived on the scene, Tim had already been loaded into the ambulance, Tony never setting eyes on his injured partner.

"Two: a scratch or minor injury would not take over two hours in the OR, regardless of allergies," she added with a pointed look at Tony. "Three: When has he ever exaggerated his injuries?"

"All the time," Abby injected, answering Ziva's question, despite Tony's warning that she remain silent.

Ziva shook her head, "He rarely tells anyone when he is ill or injured, especially in the last few years."

"What?" Abby cried in disbelief.

"Why?" Tony asked at the same time, suspecting that there was a story behind that fact. He wasn't sure if Ziva knew the answer, but since she brought it up, it was highly possible.

Before Ziva could respond to either question, Abby continued, ticking off her fingers to make her point, "When he shot Jethro; When he saved Tony at the garage; Apprehending Werth; when Gibbs got injured when he prevented Tim from being hit by the car; When-"

"Enough," Ziva hissed. "That dog almost killed him. It went for his neck, Tim using his arm to keep the dog away from his neck and shooting the dog is most likely the only thing that prevented him from dying that day; You try dragging 250 lbs of dead weight up the side of a building, of course, he was going to be injured; Werth dislocated his shoulder, resisting arrest; And yes, Gibbs did save Tim from possibly being killed and injured himself in the process, but that didn't keep Tim from being hurt as well. When he was pushed out of the way, he landed hard, spraining his wrist and ankle and receiving a concussion. In all those cases, _Ducky_ diagnosed and treated him, unless you think that perhaps he exaggerated Tim's injuries?"

They stared at her in shock, "That can't be true, we would've known."

"Really? How would you have known? Have you ever _seriously_ asked Tim how he was?" Tony went to answer, but remained silent when she glared at him. "And let him answer before making a joke, teasing him, or blaming him for something?" The last mostly directed towards Abby. "That is why he does not volunteer information, why he has often thought about leaving the team. Because you do not take him seriously. He has long felt that no one on the team took him seriously. That no one really cared about _him_ , all they care about is the work he is responsible for, work that, according to Tony, a trained chimp could do," she bitterly added as she stood up and moved to a chair on the other side of the waiting room, wanting to put some distance between herself and her coworkers, yet still be available if someone had news about Tim's condition.

Tony opened his mouth and then closed it, his mind racing. Tony felt worse than he had all week. He had only recently begun to realize how badly his words had effected his partner, but for Tim to serious think about transferring because of them, that was unbearable. Still, some things did not seem to add up.

After a few more minutes of staring at Ziva across the room, he stood and started to move towards her, glaring at Abby when she attempted to join him. With a huff, Abby turned and stomped out of the room.

He sat down in the chair next to Ziva, ignoring the glaring looks sent his way. "When did you learn so much about McGee? About all of his injuries, his family history, his past? How he felt and thought about us?" he quietly asked.

Ziva hesitated. "We talked," she finally said.

"But _why_? How?" he prodded. "I mean, a few months ago you two barely interacted, now you are defending each other and planning double dates."

"You just answered your own question," Ziva replied. "I missed the friend he was when I first started at NCIS. In the beginning, he had my back, not just in the field, but off of it as well. I knew he would be willing to help me any way he could, that he would give me the last shirt off his back if I needed it. During the last few years, that had changed and I wanted to know why, wanted to find out why he seemed to be pulling away from us."

"Why did it change?"

"Rule 8," she answered. "I took him for granted. Thought he would always be there, and physically, he was, but otherwise he kept pulling further and further away anytime we, _I_ said or did something hurtful."

Tony paled before deciding that he had to know exactly how she fixed the situation between her and Probie. "And you just talked?" he asked in disbelief. "You asked and he told you what was going on? Just like that?"

"Of course not," she snorted. "When he had some trouble, I took advantage of the opportunity to spend time with him."

"His car," Tony muttered, trying to piece it all together.

"We talked. _Really_ talked," she stressed, "and I realized that _I_ was the reason why our friendship had changed," she admitted. "We had some challenges, some misconceptions we had to overcome. Some things I had to apologize for," she admitted.

"It took him a while to trust me after everything I had done in the past, but we got there," at least, she thought, we _were_ there, until she ruined it again. "We promised to be honest with each other, not to lie, to be real," she added softly.

"Is that why he's not talking to you?" Tony asked with sudden insight, "Because he feels like you betrayed that?"

Ziva flinched, "Most likely. We have not really talked since Monday, so I can only speculate," she shared. "He suspected something was wrong, and I planned on telling him that night on the way home, but,"

"But I kept opening my mouth," Tony finished her sentence.

"Your big mouth," Ziva corrected, causing Tony to roll his eyes, but not protest.

"It's McGee," Tony remarked after a few moments of silence, "He'll forgive you, it's what he does," he comforted.

"Just like he does not get hurt?" she snarked, before once more playing musical chairs, making sure to keep the doors to the OR in sight.

* * *

"What do you need?"

"My agent was shot," Gibbs replied as he flashed his badge and ducked under the tape surrounding the crime scene. After learning about Tim's wounds, he had immediately placed a call to the investigative team telling them that he was on his way to the scene and to meet him there.

"Sorry to hear that," came the casual, automatic response, "But that doesn't explain why you're here."

Gibbs glared at the FBI agent, "Things aren't adding up, we're missing a piece."

"Hey, not our problem that your agent is lying to you about what happened."

"My _agent_ ," he stressed, "is unconscious in an operating room. He has been unconscious since he left here and hasn't been able to tell us anything. We have some evidence and a witness, however, there was only one gunshot heard, yet there is a bullet in my agent and his attacker."

The investigator frowned as he thought of possible scenarios, "Unlikely that someone hit both with one shot."

"And even if they did, who made that shot?" Gibbs concluded. "But I agree. We are confident the bullet in the suspect came from my agent seconds after he was stabbed."

"Stabbed? I thought you said he was shot?" The investigator looked at Gibbs suspiciously.

"He was," Gibbs confirmed, meeting the other man's gaze.

"Man, is he okay? No wonder he didn't regain consciousness."

Even though the other man's tone was sincere when he now asked about McGee's condition, Gibbs did not like the way he seemed to speculate on his chances. "He'll be fine," Gibbs vowed, like he had to Ziva, "but I need to find out where that bullet came from and when."

"Of course," the agent agreed, calling over some of his men and having them help with the search.

"My agent was hiding in one of these alcoves," Gibbs began, heading in that direction. "The other agent said that he came out, gun raised and aimed that way," he said waving his hand, "And called out that he was a Federal Agent. Something made him leave the alcove, had him focused on the area he was," Gibbs mused. Tim had to have seen or heard something, something Ziva couldn't pick up on from the other side of the coliseum, but what? This was Tim's plan. He was the one who go the lead, put the pieces and this plan together; he wouldn't have jeopardized it on a whim.

With that information in hand, Gibbs and the FBI agents began their investigation anew.

It wasn't long before more evidence was gathered and Gibbs returned to the hospital.

* * *

2-18-19

So, Tim was the one hurt...

Hope everything was okay, I don't think I'm very good at battle/fight scenes which is why there isn't one here and that it's mostly done from Ziva's perspective...

Gibbs will return to the hospital and we'll meet up with the rest of the team and hopefully have some news about Tim...

In other news, I started working on the epilogue...


	79. Thursday March 26 Hidden (J79)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies

* * *

Thursday March 26, Hidden (J79)

* * *

Tony had spent a few minutes frozen in the same position he had been in when Ziva walked away. He was desperately trying to think about how he could make things right. He only meant to encourage Ziva, give her hope, he didn't want to get her mad at him. Part of him wondered if he and Ziva would ever get a chance to have that conversation they should have had last night. One where they were able to get everything out in the open, where they could finally lay the past to rest and once more trust in each other.

With a sigh, he stood and approached her. "When I said that McGee would forgive you, that's what I meant…that he'll forgive _you_. Not just because of who he is, but because of you. You deserve his forgiveness. Yes, you might have shared some of his secrets, but you did it while defending him, not to tease or torment him," he felt obliged to point out.

"Me," Tony continued, pausing for a moment, "I know I don't deserve his forgiveness, but I want it, will even ask for it," he admitted. "And I know he might not forgive me, hell, he has no reason _to_ forgive me and god knows I don't deserve it because he's already given me so many chances, but I'll ask, because not asking, well, that is the one thing I can think of that doesn't deserve forgiveness," Tony added softly.

"I don't like what I'm seeing in myself, don't like hearing what I've done to McGee and how it has affected him, the team; how everyone else views it. I want to run away from it, but I know I can't, and in fact have already taken steps to keep myself from doing that. As you said, Rule 45," he finished before walking away, leaving Ziva staring after him.

Tony ended up wandering around the hospital for the next hour trying to find Gibbs or Ducky and hoping to avoid Abby. He was glad to say that he had succeeded in the latter, unfortunately he failed at finding Gibbs or Ducky.

Eventually he returned to the waiting room, finding Ziva in almost the exact same position she had been in when he left. He had been expecting that Gibbs was there now, that the two had missed each other while he was wandering. Since that wasn't the case, he was hoping Ziva would share what she learned about Tim's condition.

"How bad was it?" Tony asked as he took a seat next to Ziva in the waiting room, pretending like what he had said earlier didn't happen.

"Just a scratch," she retorted, causing him to wince.

"Ziva, I'm sorry." Tony didn't know if she would accept his apology, but he really hoped it would help the situation between them. The last time he felt this mistrusted by her was when they were hunting Ari. He wasn't sure why she has been so short-tempered with him these last few weeks; all he knew was that he was tired of all the sniping comments, even if he did bring it on himself.

She shrugged, not saying a word since she wasn't even sure what he was apologizing for. She even refused to look at him.

"You know, I'm kinda glad I didn't say or do anything to you these last few days. I don't think I would've survived your wrath if I had," he mumbled, not noticing the glare she sent his way when she caught his words.

When Ziva remained silent and continued to pretend he wasn't there, he tried again. "It's tough seeing a partner injured right in front of you and not be able to do anything to help," he empathized. He had seen it more than once with his combined years on the force and at NCIS. In fact, he still had nightmares about some of those instances.

"You have no idea," she muttered, still not meeting his gaze.

Tony decided that this definitely wasn't the time to trade stories, especially since most of his ended up with his partner dead. "What happened out there?" He asked instead. He still hadn't heard any of the details of what went wrong. The plan had seemed to hold little risk. Two hidden agents and a sniper against one drug dealer and a buyer, the latter two most likely not even arriving together, making it three on one.

"Tim got hurt."

Tony frowned at her non-answer. "I think there's a bit more to it than that. After all, not even Probie would walk into a knife."

Ziva whipped her head around to glare at him, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make fun of the situation, always put him down. He's a good, no, a great agent," she said, causing Tony to snort. "See! Like that, you did it again."

"You should've seen him the first time we met him," Tony remarked, smiling as he remembered.

"That was what, five, six years ago? And he couldn't have been that bad," she argued, "Gibbs saw something in him."

"Gloves and masks at the crime scene," Tony said shaking his head as he remembered his first glimpse of Agent Timothy McGee. "I swear, he looked like he was about twelve. Looked like he was going to be sick a few times, as well. He actually believed me when I told him that he had to stay there all night to keep the scene secure," he added with a soft laugh.

"So he read and followed the handbook and listened to an older, more trained, experienced senior agent, even if he was just being a bully, so what?"

"Hey! There's no need for that."

"For what? The truth?"

"I wasn't being a bully. A bit of teasing and hazing, sure, but that's not bullying."

"So that came later, when you realized he wouldn't retaliate or tattle," Ziva stated, mostly to herself.

"Ziva, why are you so mad at me all of a sudden?" he began, thinking that while the two of them were alone they could finally have that talk they were suppose to have last night. Yes, he often teased his coworkers, especially McGee, but for the last few weeks every time he said something Ziva took offense at it, even if Tim did not.

"No," she answered firmly, ending the conversation before it could even begin. "We will not do this now, _I_ will not do this now, not while Tim is still in surgery."

Tony frowned in concern, "He's still in there?" he asked in surprise.

Ziva gave a mocking laugh, "The bullet must have left quite a scratch."

"Hey, now," Tony began again in protest only to pause as her words penetrated. "Bullet? What bullet? He was shot?"

"No, he walked into it," Ziva snapped.

"I thought he was stabbed," he replied absently, still trying to figure out how he ended up with the wrong information regarding his teammate's injury.

"He was, in the abdomen. He was also shot in the right shoulder."

"God, Ziva, no wonder why you've been so worried," Tony began, not sure what else to say, let alone how to say it. He shivered as he realized how closely Tim's injuries mimicked their victims.

"Because he's a friend and a teammate and he's been injured," Ziva snapped.

"I didn't know there was a gunshot wound, all I heard was that there was a knife," Tony said, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Tim was seriously injured. Tony frowned as he looked around the waiting room. Where was Gibbs? Ducky? Jimmy? The Director? Shouldn't they be here, eagerly waiting for news regarding Tim. Was this what Ziva meant about no one seemingly caring when McGee was hurt?

"Would it have mattered?" she asked.

Tony remained silent, again, not knowing how to respond. "I don't know," he slowly admitted. "I mean, I definitely would've been, _am_ ," he corrected, "more worried about him, but would it have made me act more seriously?" he asked. "Probably not," he honestly responded.

"I really don't know how else to deal with things," he commented. "I told you that before."

"You also told me that you had learned a few things the last few days, but apparently the lesson did not stick too well," she retorted. "Things will never change unless you make them change, unless _you_ change," she pointed out. "If you keep mocking, insulting, involving yourself in his private life when his does not want you involved then it does not matter whether Tim files a formal complaint or not, whether he forgives you or not. If he decides to stay, and things revert to how they have always been we will be right back in this exact same situation next month."

Tony looked around the waiting room and opened his mouth to reply.

"Do not dare," she harshly ordered, guessing what he was about to say. Her eyes narrowing as she looked at him, "Do not even think about making a joking about this. If you care about him at all, if you want to continue working with him, things need to change. Timothy cannot be the only one to make allowances." She fidgeted as if she was preparing to move seats again.

"I really do care about him," Tony responded, making sure to meet her eyes. "I know I tease him, but honestly, he's probably the closest friend I have. I mean, sure, I have my fraternity brothers, but we're scattered around the world, different occupations, I don't always understand what they're going through and I know they don't understand the stress of my job; there's also the fact that most of them are married, kids, they can't join in the joys of singlehood," he shared, before adding, "not that McSingle takes joy in it either."

"Aga-"

"Ziva," he exclaimed, interrupting her, "Does anyone have his phone?"

"What? Why?" she asked, confused by the sudden change in topic.

"His girlfriend, somebody should really let her know what's going on." He hurriedly explained. "I know he hasn't really spoken to her since Monday night, but surely she would want to know that he's been hurt," Tony added.

"I…he told you that?"

"Yeah," Tony admitted. "Surprisingly, _he_ started that conversation, not me," he added. "I felt bad that my actions caused a fight between the two of them. I even offered to bring in some flowers Tim could give her as an apology."

"Rule 6," was the only thing Ziva could think of to say.

Tony shrugged, "Sometimes you have to break the rules, or at least have exceptions. And a girlfriend seems like a good reason for an exception."

"It is an exceptional reason," Gibbs said, surprising his two agents by his sudden appearance.

"Exception, exceptional, I get it," Tony grinned, glad Gibbs wasn't upset that he was talking about breaking the rules.

Gibbs smirked, "Friends," he said softly, "That is the exception to Rule 6. I once told Ducky that apologies between friends isn't a sign of weakness."

Tony stared at Gibbs, wondering why he's never heard that before.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, glaring at the younger man, and instantly changing the mood in the waiting room, "I hope you have a good reason for talking about Tim's girlfriend."

"I, uh, yeah, I do," Tony said, emphatically nodding his head. "Someone really should contact her, let her know that Tim's been hurt. I wonder if Sarah has her number," he mused out loud, figuring it would not be a good idea to get Abby involved in tracking her down.

"I," Ziva faltered, not wanting to admit to everything now.

"Once we know what's going on, I'll make sure that everyone who needs to know is informed," Gibbs promised.

"So we don't know anything yet?" Tony asked, receiving a shake of the head in reply.

"Don't know, I wasn't here."

Tony frowned, Gibbs left the hospital while McGee was in surgery? That wasn't the Gibbs he knew. Why would Gibbs leave when McGee was injured so badly? How many times had McGee been hurt and none of them did anything to help? The way Gibbs had been acting lately, Tony had really thought he cared about McGee. There had to be an explanation, he thought. "Where were you?"

"At the crime scene. Needed to find out about some missing pieces," he said, nodding to Ziva.

"What did you learn?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, "Best we can determine is that Tim was shot while hiding in the alcove. No doubt, he knew that if he remained there and if bullets continued to fly, he would be cornered and killed."

"Bullets?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs nodded, "The area around the alcove he was in was riddled with them. Forensics will confirm if they were all from the same gun and recently fired as we suspect." If those bullets had been present earlier, while the two were securing the alcoves, he hoped that one of them would have mentioned it, especially since it could've been due to the case they were working on.

"So Probie knew he had to get out of dodge," Tony commented, trying to hear what else their boss had learned.

Another nod, "Yep," he confirmed, looking to Ziva, "You said he exited, gun raised and aimed to the right? That he was then physically attacked from behind?"

Ziva nodded, "My left," Ziva clarified, "His right. He turned to his right when he exited the alcove, his attacker came from his left, another alcove, not far from the one he had been in," Ziva confirmed.

Tony frowned, "I thought you guys secured the other alcoves."

"We did," She snapped.

Tony snorted, "You thought you did, but apparently, you and Little Timmy missed some," Tony argued.

An angry Ziva quickly stood and approached Tony, never before had she wished for a paperclip more than she did right now, looks like her palm would have to suffice, "Yo-"

"Hey!" Gibbs injected, moving to stand between the two. "We are not doing this again, not here, not _now_ ," he stressed, his eyes moving to the operating room doors.

"I am sure that both you and McGee thoroughly checked the alcoves," he reassured Ziva, glaring at Tony when he went to interrupt. "We found a couple of hidden passageways in the alcoves, one of them in an alcove two away from Tim's hiding spot." "

Ziva frowned, "How did we miss that in the building file? she asked.

Tony shook his head, "I don't think we did. They weren't in it," he answered, causing all three agents to frown at that information and make a mental note to look into that.

Gibbs just shook his head and continued, "Our suspect must have already been in place before we arrived. We believe that he exited the tunnel in an alcove to McGee's right, and based on the bullet pattern, began firing his gun in Tim's direction randomly while remaining hidden. FBI Forensics has confirmed that the gun was modified to decrease the sound when fired," he added, suspecting what was on Ziva's mind. "When Tim exited the alcove to confront the gunman, we suspect that our suspect then went back through the tunnel and physically attacked McGee from behind."

Tony frowned, "How do we know that he was the only one there? After all, no one else showed up for the meeting."

"Because the tunnels have no entrance outside of the colosseum and we didn't find anyone else in there when we searched them. FBI agents have been on site and even they would've noticed someone exiting the building." Gibbs added.

Tony reluctantly nodded his acceptance of the explanation.

They fell into silence as they processed the scenario.

A few minutes later, Ziva exclaimed in Hebrew, causing both men to look at her, "What would have happened if Tim or I picked one of those alcoves with the passageway to hide in?" she asked.

Tony paled, "Oh God," he muttered, realizing how close he came to once again losing a teammate or both teammates to death.

* * *

As the wait for news continued, Tony excused himself by offering to grab coffee or tea for everyone. With his head tilted towards Ziva, Gibbs suggested that he pick up some food as well. It was over a half hour before he returned, holding out the sandwiches, salads, and mini fruit trays out for Ziva and Gibbs to choose from. When Gibbs quietly asked him what happened, he just shook his head, unwilling talk about it.

As the minutes ticked away, Ziva seemed to become more anxious. Luckily, Ducky had arrived and was able to quietly reassure her, and everyone else, that Timothy would be fine.

The minute the OR Doors opened, everyone eager jumped up to hear how he was doing.

It was with great relief they learned that the procedures on Tim were declared a success and that he was currently in recovery. The doctor's did not expect any complications or loss of motion in shoulder, and that after approximately 6 weeks on light duty, should make a full recovery. They informed them that Tim appeared to be doing well but was currently still asleep due to medication, and would most likely remain so for the rest of the day. The nurse also informed them that Tim was would be moved to a room shortly. Until then, visitors were limited to two at a time while he was in recovery, and that she would gladly show them where he was.

"Ziva, go," Gibbs ordered, nodding for her to follow the nurse.

"But," she protested looking at the nurse before once more turning to Gibbs and the rest of the team. Right after Ducky had arrived, Jimmy had soom followed. Abby had also reappeared, but hadn't spoken to any of them yet.

"You were there when he fell, you need to see that he's okay. And if he's awake, he'll be worried about you as well."

"I-okay," she agreed, before hurrying over to follow the nurse to his room.

"You know they did say two visitors at a time," Tony commented, only to receive a glare in reply. "Right, shutting up boss,"

* * *

"Oh, Tim," she softly cried, seeing his still form on the bed.

"Don't worry about Jethro, I will make sure he is taken care of," she promised, reaching out to grasp his hand. "Normally I would yell at you for worrying me so, but I owe you. Of course," she added, trying to lighten up the atmosphere, "You will owe me dinner since I am certain that my report will be completed before yours.

"Do not worry, though, I can take a raincheck until you are better and we can talk…really talk," she added. "I miss you. Have missed you these last few days. I'm so…so," she paused as a knock was heard and the door pushed open. After hearing Tony's comment as she left the waiting, she wasn't surprised that Tony had found a way to follow, she thought, absently looking for a paper clip.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a few tests to perform," the nurse stated.

"Oh, yes, of course," Ziva replied, reluctantly letting go of his hand. "Is he going to be okay?" she couldn't help but ask.

The nurse smiled at her, "Are you his wife?"

"He's not married," she replied. "I'm his…partner," she hesitated before saying that last word.

"Oh, yes, I heard he was a federal agent. The doctors did everything they could, the rest is up to him."

"When will he wake up?"

"Hard to say," she hesitatingly answered. "Everyone is different. He was in surgery quite a while."

Ziva nodded at the truth in that statement.

"Is his family on their way?"

"I…I do not know. Does it matter?"

"Sometimes it helps to have love ones close by, talking. Some believe that even though the patient is unconscious, they can still hear or at least, feel the love and concern expressed by those gathered around them."

Ziva nodded, she wasn't sure if she believed that, but just to be safe, she had no issues with expressing how she felt while Tim recovered.

* * *

2-19-19

Was hoping to post more, but...some parts just weren't cooperating, at least you know that Tim is out of surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, and you (kinda) know how he got hurt...Anyway, hope you liked it. Look forward to hearing your thoughts...


	80. Thursday March 26, Growing Pains (J80)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies

 _*paragraphs in italics are are flashbacks...and are booked with *_

* * *

Thursday March 26, Growing Pains (J80)

* * *

"Come, Anthony," Ducky said, pulling Tony away from Gibbs, and leading him back to the "Sit here with me while we wait until Ziva's visit is over."

Tony frowned, "The way she's been worrying about Probie, I don't think that'll be any time soon," he muttered.

"Yes, well," Ducky began, only to stop when Abby huffed and walked away. "What on earth was that was that about?" He said, staring after her.

Tony just shrugged avoiding the doctor's gaze.

"How come it isn't until something happens that you realize what you have?" Tony suddenly asked.

"Human nature, I suppose."

"That's why we have Rule 8," Gibbs injected.

"Never take anything for granted," Tony muttered, giving a nod of his head. Great, one more rule he broke, Tony sadly realized, absently rubbing the back of his head.

"Anthony, what's wrong?" Ducky inquired seeing the look on the agent's face.

Tony snorted, "What isn't wrong? Tim might be out surgery, but he's still injured and unconscious. He hasn't really talked to myself or Ziva the last few days and hasn't made a decision about things yet; he and his girlfriend are fighting; Ziva's still worried and upset and hogging up all of McGee's time; Abby's mad at me...wait," Tony paused, before giving Gibbs and Ducky a grin, "That last one I'm kinda proud of," he admitted.

"Oh?" Ducky inquired.

"That why it took you so long to get that food?" Gibbs asked.

He nodded, as he thought about the run-in with Abby.

 _*Tony stepped out of the elevator and onto the ground floor only to be tackled by Abby._

 _"I can't believe her!" Abby exclaimed in his ear._

 _"Yo, Abby, rule 62," he said, trying to step off the elevator and away from her._

 _She shrugged dismissively and grasped his arm, "I'm in a rush. I've looked all over this hospital and haven't found Gibbs. I'm beginning to think that there is some kind of black hole here sucking people in and warping their minds."_

 _Tony rolled his eyes at her dramatic attitude, "Gibbs is upstairs in the waiting room."_

 _"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Then why are we down here? Come on, let's go," she said pulling on his arm._

 _Tony shook his head, "Nope, I need to get us some food and coffee. Well, tea for Ziva," he corrected._

 _Abby huffed upon hearing that name. "Honestly, who does she think she is? Acting like she knows Timmy better than I do. I don't believe for one moment that he had been injured all those times. We would've heard about it. And obviously, he's not hurt now. I mean, Gibbs wasn't in sight, and he wouldn't leave one of the Gibblets when they're down. Oohh, wait till Gibbs hears that Timmy's been exaggerating his injuries," she concluded gleefully._

 _"Knock it off, Abby," Tony said as he wretched himself free from her grasp. "She wasn't lying," Tony began, "In fact-"_

 _"Tony!" she hissed. "Geesh, I know you have a thing for Ziva, but taking her side in this isn't going to help you any."_

 _"I don't have a thing for Ziva," he denied, rolling his eyes._

 _"Please, even Timmy knows how you feel, he wrote about it in his book, remember?" She asked with a smirk, trying to remind him how upset he had been about that. "Plus, you're constantly watching her."_

 _"She's a beautiful girl…woman," he corrected, "And I've always appreciated beauty, that's all."_

 _Abby snorted, "Like if she offered you wou-"_

 _'Abby," Tony interrupted again, "You're imagining things between me and Ziva."_

 _"Like you haven't," she replied, smirking at him._

 _Tony ignored her, not wanting to get sidetracked. "I was just pointing out that Ducky could confirm what she said."_

 _"Ducky who doesn't appear to be here," she noted. "In fact a lot of people haven't been here. Gibbs just showed up. Jimmy isn't here, and the director hasn't shown up either. So they either don't really care, know he's exaggerating his injuries like normal, know he's going to be fine, or a combination of those things. Not even his precious girlfriend has come to check on him," she added._

 _"Can't be here when you don't know that something is wrong," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "Gibbs is waiting until we know more about McGee before contacting her or his family."_

 _Abby opened her mouth then quickly shut it again without speaking a word._

 _Tony's eyes narrowed, "What did you do?" he hissed._

 _"Nothing," she replied, continuing when Tony continued to just glare at her. "I just figured that as close as Timmy seems to think they are, she would worry not hearing from him most of the day. That she would at least try to call him and wonder why he didn't answer or return her calls. And what more is there to know? He was stabbed, might need some stitches but will be fine. In fact," she added, "He will probably be released before she can even come to see him."_

 _Tony continued to eye her suspiciously, unable to tell if she was telling the truth. If he was being honestly, he really didn't care about what she said; he just wanted to get away from her so he could get what he came down her for and return to the waiting room. "Just…just don't do anything stupid," he warned, ready to walk away. "We're both in enough trouble as it is you don't need to compound your mistakes."_

 _Abby rolled her eyes, "Please," she dragged out the word. "I don't make mistakes. Anything you did was done to settle your own curiosity because you can't stand not knowing everything. If I did anything, it was because I was concerned and only wanted to help a friend."_

 _Tony stared at her, not sure what he was hearing, "I know that's not true," he said before he could stop himself. "I was there when you showed me the results of your first illegal search. You didn't want to help him, you were mad that he hadn't told you anything about her, that he told me and Ziva before he told you. You were worried that he had begun spending time with someone else, had somebody in his life he cared for more than you, someone who mattered more to him than you did," Tony said with sudden insight._

 _Abby glared at him not saying a word._

 _"God, why didn't I see it before," he asked himself. "You don't care about him, in fact, I don't think you really have in a long time."_

 _"Of course I care about Timmy," she protested. "Why else would I be here?"_

 _"First, call him McGee. You know he doesn't like to be called Timmy and I seriously doubt he considers you a friend right now," Tony speculated. "Two, if you were so concerned, why aren't you upstairs waiting to hear how he is instead of trying to find Gibbs?"_

 _Abby ignored his first point, but replied to the second, "Because I know Timmy will be fine," she replied. "Besides, I left my number with the nursing station asking them to contact me when he's in a room so I can go up to see him."_

 _"Can't care that much if you won't stop calling him by a name he hates," Tony pointed out._

 _She snorted, "Look who's talking. You and all your nicknames for him."_

 _"He's never told me to stop those," Tony defended, "But I know he's asked many times not to call him Timmy."_

 _Abby just shrugged._

 _"Look, Abby, I'm saying this because I care. Things need to change. You and I need to change," he clarified. "Both of us have taken advantage of Tim for too long; have abused the trust he placed in us. You don't own him. He is free to live his own life. And it is quite possible that he will choose to exclude us from that life," Tony added, not wanting her to be surprised if that scenario came to pass._

 _"We still don't know what the consequences of our actions these last two weeks will bring. It is highly likely that the three of us will no longer be working together, some of us might not even be working at NCIS anymore," he added, not sure whether or not he should be surprised when she just rolled her eyes at that statement._

 _"Either way, life at NCIS is going to be very different," he warned. "No one, especially Gibbs will put up with how Tim was treated in the past. I've been taking a good hard look at myself, my actions and my relationships, especially in regards to Tim. I know that I messed up, I know that I need to change; need to be a better partner, a better friend, and I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen," he admitted. "I suggest you do the same."*_

"Anthony?" Ducky asked, breaking Tony out of his memory.

"Yeah, sorry, just thinking about that conversation," he explained.

"I surmise that it did not go well?" Ducky inquired.

"Huh?" Tony asked, following Gibbs and Ducky's gaze to his hands where he had absently ripped up a napkin while he was thinking about it.

"No, not well at all," he stated. "Basically, she was complaining to me about Ziva and Tim," he admitted, not seeing the look the older men exchanged, nor how Gibbs straightened at his last comment. "All she kept saying was how she was going to tell Gibbs what they were up to. I told her to shut up." Tony gave a mocking laugh, "I know, me telling someone else to shut up," he said, shaking his head.

"Go on," Ducky said, casting a glance at Gibbs who nodded. He also wanted to know what had happened, what Tony had learned about Tim and Ziva.

"I…We didn't know that he had been shot and stabbed," Tony prefaced. "When we first arrived Abby was talking about how Tim was fine and just exaggerating his injuries to try to garner some attention and sympathy, saying that he always did that." Tony winced when he saw the looks on Ducky's and Gibbs' faces. "Yeah, Ziva didn't like that either. She mentioned all the times Tim had been injured and never told us. I was surprised, Abby didn't believe her. That's mostly what she was complaining about when we ran into each other in the cafeteria," he admitted, "Ziva and how all of a sudden she seemed to be an expert on Tim."

Gibbs held back a sigh of relief, hopefully that the truth about the relationship between the two teammates hadn't been revealed yet. He wasn't sure his team could recover if it came out right now.

"She then mentioned how no one was here for Timmy, not even his girlfriend." Tony paused and looked at Gibbs, "Um, did you call her and his family?"

Gibbs nodded, "They know."

"Oh. Okay, good," he said before continuing. "I…I think she might be up to something," Tony reluctantly admitted. "Don't ask me what, because I have no idea, but I've known Abby long enough to know when she's up to something," he added. "Anyway, I advised her not to do anything stupid, that we are both in enough trouble as it is and were still waiting to hear the consequences from that. I informed her that things as NCIS were going to be different, that it was possible not all of us would still be there," he added, not meeting their gaze. "That no one, especially you," he said, inclining his head towards Gibbs, "was going to let how McGee was treated in the past to continue.

I also told her that I've taken a long look at the things I've said and done, at my relationships, especially with Tim and that I've realized that things need to change, that _I_ need to change. I suggested she do the same."

"Oh, my," Ducky whispered, placing his hands over his mouth for a moment before removing them. "I am sure that did not go over well."

"No, it didn't," Tony confirmed, shaking his head as he remembered the rest of that conversation. "Not at all."

Gibbs stared at Tony when he remained silent. "What she say?"

Tony just shook his head.

"Tony,"

"No. Not now," he replied. "I ended up walking away because I knew that it wasn't the right time and place, it still isn't. I only told you what I did so you have an idea of what is going on. Everything else can wait until Tim makes his decision."

Before Gibbs could say another word, Ziva appeared.

"Ah, look who it is," Ducky exclaimed as she approached them. "How is he?"

"So still, so pale," she replied, taking a seat next to Ducky.

Ducky nodded and once more began reassuring her that that was to be expected. He also promised to make sure to talk with the doctor's before he went home to confirm that everything was as it should be.

As he did that, Tony and Gibbs made their way to Tim's room to check on him.

* * *

Suspecting that Ziva would want to return to Tim's bedside, Gibbs made sure that he and Tony only stayed for about ten minutes. Long enough to confirm that Tim was alive, thought pale and still as Ziva had reported.

"God, it's almost surreal seeing Tim like that," Tony said as they stood there just watching Tim sleep.

Gibbs nodded, "I have a lot more practice seeing you like that," he admitted, "But that still doesn't make it any easier."

"Did you know that Tim has often been hurt and never said anything to us?" Tony asked suddenly.

Gibbs nodded, "I found out last month," he admitted. "Those days when Tim was out, when you thought he went to Vegas," Gibbs added giving him a look that was usually accompanied with a head slap, "he was sick. Apparently his temperature was about 102. Ducky was concerned it might be pneumonia."

Tony frowned, "Why didn't you or he just say he was sick?"

"He didn't want us to think he was weak and couldn't handle a cold."

"Obviously it was well past a cold if his temp was that high and Ducky was worried."

Gibbs nodded his agreement, "Would that have made a difference to you?"

"No," Tony reluctantly admitted with a frown. "God, I really am a jerk."

"Knowing is half the battle," Gibbs replied before ushering Tony out of Tim's room.

"Something tells me that this battle is going to be all uphill," Tony muttered as they headed back towards the waiting room.

As soon as they appeared, Ducky asked Ziva to show him where Tim was, a task Ziva was eager to perform.

"I…ah, boss," Tony nervously began, realizing that he had something he had to share with the older man. "This may not be the best time to tell you, but I didn't follow your edict about not talking about this with anyone."

Gibbs turned to him, "You mean you and Ziva in the ladies' room? I know," he smirked.

"You do? How?" he asked continuing without waiting for an answer. "But, no, not that. I talked with someone else," Tony admitted.

Gibbs turned and glared at him, "Who?" he demanded to know.

"I know you said that it was Mc-Tim's decision to make, but it was _my_ decision to act the way I did. I needed to take responsibility for it, not put that on his shoulders. I talked with the Director yesterday," he confessed.

 _*"DiNozzo," Vance greeted, "take a seat," he offered._

 _"Thank you, sir, but I'd rather stand," Tony replied, coming to parade rest in front of the desk._

 _The agent's words and demeanor caught the Director's attention, his eyes immediately meeting the younger man's._

 _"What is this about, Agent, DiNozzo?"_

 _Tony closed his eyes for a brief moment, knowing very well he could be jeopardizing his job. "First I am wondering what you know about the altercation that happened in the bullpen between members of the MCRT."_

 _Vance raised an eyebrow, "I knew that something happened, you team is never that quiet or well-behaved," he drawled. "However, the details are sketchy. Everyone seems to have developed amnesia when I ask about it," he replied dryly._

 _Tony nodded, "The details are unimportant," he began, ignoring the director's protest. "What lead up to that confrontation is the real issue," he admitted. What occurred next was Tony informing the Director about the apartment break-in; Following up on Tim at his apartment during the weekend, he refused to use the term spying; the teasing comments and pranks, most of which Vance were familiar with; everything that he had done in the last few weeks, especially as it involved McGee._

 _"And were you alone in those actions?"_

 _"I am responsible for my own actions," Tony replied._

 _"Not what I asked," Vance replied dryly, "but I suspect the only answer I will get."_

 _Tony just tilted his head in recognition of the Director's words._

 _"Why?" he asked_

 _"Many reasons, but none good enough to excuse what I did," Tony replied honestly._

 _"Humor me," the man directed, ironically without a trace of amusement in his voice._

 _"Curiosity, wanting to know, not wanting to be left out, disbelief, amusement and entertainment, concern," Tony shared, ending with a shrug._

 _"You're right, those aren't good enough reasons," Vance agreed. "Now about this altercation, last I knew an altercation usually involved more than one person."_

 _Tony nodded, "My actions were the main topic of the altercation and perhaps the reason why it came about," he admitted, "And…"_

 _"And you are responsible for your own actions," Vance reiterated, dropping the subject. "Why tell me now?"_

 _"Because I don't want this to tear the rest of the team apart. Tim isn't talking to anyone but Gibbs, Ziva seems to be barely holding herself together, yet always within reach of a paperclip. Something has to give, and since this all began because of me…" Tony trailed off._

 _"I like McGee," Vance said. "He's a great agent and a good man to put up with you for so long," he added. "If it comes down to it, if he decides he can't or won't work with you, he will stay here, and you,_ _ **if**_ _you stay with NCIS, will once more become Agent Afloat. Officer David will be given a choice of moving to intel or terminating the liaison position."_

 _Tony went to speak before shutting his mouth without making a sound._

 _"You have something to say?"_

 _"I…no," Tony replied. "It is something personal regarding one of my teammates and not my place to talk about it."_

 _Vance's eyebrow rose, "So you can learn," he replied, leaning back in his chair, staring at Tony._

 _Vance just continued to stare at the agent in front of him. At least he now had an idea of what Gibbs needed to talk to him about.*_

"Just my part of it," he added, telling them what he told the director. "I didn't have the right to share everything that Abby had done. That is up to her or Tim."

"I am proud of you, Anthony," Ducky said. He had reappeared in the midst of Tony's story and had quietly stood on the sidelines listening. "You're growing up."

Tony gave a sad smile, "Too bad it couldn't have happened a week or two ago. Then maybe we could've avoided all of the drama from earlier in the week."

* * *

About an hour later, Ziva reappeared. Apparently, they were getting ready to transfer Tim to his room and because of all the medical equipment that also needed to be moved, had requested that she give them the space to do so.

"Uh, boss," Tony said, standing up and inclining his head towards the hallway. Raising an eyebrow, Gibbs joined him.

"Um, just to let you know, Abby mentioned that she left her number at the nurses' station. They're suppose to call her when Tim is in his room so that she can visit."

"So?" Gibbs asked, wondering where this was going.

"I don't think it's a good idea for her to visit Tim, especially with no one else there."

"Why?"

Tony just shrugged, "Can we chalk it up to gut instinct?" He asked. "Because she's having a hard time seeing that she's at fault with anything that happened. She seems to think that Tim owes her an apology and I fear that if he wakes up, she will convince him of something like that or worse."

Gibbs nodded, he had had similar thoughts. "I was thinking about staying anyway," Gibbs responded.

"Oh, right, you, of course," Tony replied. "That will work," he said, not noticing Gibbs's smirk as he walked towards the elevator.

* * *

For a hospital room, it was actually pretty big, Tony thought as he looked around. Currently there were five people in the room. Gibbs and Tony had sneaked in a couple of extra chairs from the common area down the hall. Ducky and Jimmy were reviewing Tim's chart and explaining some of the machines to Ziva, who listened intently. Gibbs and Tony were just silently watching what was going on as they waited for Abby to appear, something she had yet to do.

It was only a few minutes later that Gibb's phone rang. After picking it up and listening for a few minutes, he hung up. "I gotta go back to the yard for a bit," he announced. "Ducky, you said you're staying until the doctor appears?"

"Yes, Jethro. Don't worry, I will make sure that Timothy is not left alone."

"Good," Gibbs said, nodding his head before turning and leaving the room.

A few minutes later, Tony raced out the door after him.

"Boss, let me stay with him for the night," Tony pleaded as he caught up with Gibbs on his way to the elevators.

"Why?" Gibbs asked, turning to face his Senior Agent and forcing Tony to look at him.

Tony shrugged.

"You know he's not going to know you're there, right? They don't expect him to wake until morning."

"Even better," Tony joked, "He can't complain about it if he isn't aware of it happening."

"Tony," Gibbs cautioned.

"I…this is something I need to do," Tony admitted. "Not just to make sure Abby isn't alone with him, but, well, let's just say that my eyes have been opened, okay?"

Gibbs stared at him for a few minutes as he thought about all of the conversations with Tony earlier today as well as his request. "Okay, you can stay part of the night, Ziva the rest. If he wakes up, you don't talk to him about anything that has been going on lately."

"Boss," he began in protest.

Gibbs glared at him, "She asked if she could stay as well," he informed the agent in front of him. "And those terms are non-negotiable," he added as he turned to walk away.

"I accept," Tony yelled after him. "And I'm up first, right? Boss? Right?"

* * *

2-20-19 (okay, so it's after midnight...it's still the 20th in some places/time zones)

So, Tony was basically the one to tell Vance what was going on, at least part of it. (Rule 45, clean up your messes)

Rule 62, Allow room for people to exit the elevator-I suspect Gibbs created this one with Abby in mind.

the scene between Tony and Abby was giving me trouble, Abby kept coming out as psychotic and well, much worse than I wanted (in some ways it didn't really matter, since it wouldn't have a major impact on the story, but in other ways, it was something I hadn't planned on and didn't want to change everything because of it).

And I think I accidentally deleted a small scene that's suppose to be in the next chapter...I have to see if I can recreate it, but whenever I do that, I can never get it as good as the 'lost' one...even though if my memory about the lost one was so good it wouldn't matter that it was lost...still, I can never remember the details, just 'it was better' :)


	81. Thursday Mar 26 Cuts like a Knife (J81)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

I hope you guys don't mind a longer chapter (almost 6000 words without A/N's)

Couldn't decide on a title for this chapter...'Cuts like a knife' (and yes I have the song in my head); 'Opportunities'; Could have, would have' were the top choices... Funny, some chapters can't think of anything, others I have several in mind that I like...

* * *

Thursday Mar 26 Cuts like a Knife (J81)

* * *

Vance snorted when Gibbs walked into his office unannounced and a couple of hours late for their meeting. "I should have known that something would happen to prevent you from attending a scheduled meeting with me."

Gibbs gave a half smile in reply.

"How is McGee?"

"Still not awake," a concerned Gibbs replied.

Vance nodded, "Are the doctor's worried?"

"Not yet," he admitted. "He was in the operating room for a while and apparently rest is the best medicine for him."

"And the rest of your team?"

"Still at the hospital," he admitted. "Tony and Ziva will be splitting guard duty."

Vance raised an eyebrow, "Do we have reason to believe that McGee is in danger?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Only one person showed up for a one-on-one meeting between two people, for all we know, he was there watching everything. Somehow they knew we were there waiting for that meeting. We do not know if the killer is the guy who attacked Tim, the guy who didn't show up, or someone completely different. Add in the fact that we have no idea who McGee shot, it is quite possible that someone could want revenge when they find out about it."

"I see," Vance replied. Yes, those were all valid points, but it was most likely that the _team_ wanted to keep an eye on Tim until they received confirmation that he was awake and going to be fine.

Gibbs took that moment to update Vance on their original case, which is in limbo until they are able to interrogate their suspect that attacked Tim to find out if he was the dealer that supposedly met with their victim the night he died. Gibbs also shared what he knew regarding the FBI's case regarding the attack on Tim. Technically speaking, the Bureau is responsible for any attacks on a Federal Agent, since this was done in connection of a current investigation, Gibbs normally would have fought for control. This time, he didn't. The main reason why Gibbs had relinquished the case to them, was to allow him and his team to be at the hospital to make sure Tim was going to be okay. Gibbs did tell them that he would be involved, taking Ziva's official statement was part of that, as was following up on the crime scene, however, he felt no remorse at allowing the FBI to do most of the legwork, and in this case, even the forensics. The last thin they needed was Abby involved in this since McGee was also involved.

Once he finished, Vance had asked a couple of questions, and had jotted down some notes for him to follow up on. Satisfied with how the cases was being handled, he returned to the original topic of conversation, Timothy McGee.

After thinking a few more minutes about what Gibbs had relayed earlier, he asked, "Is it wise putting DiNozzo on guard duty given the tension between your agents?"

"He asked," Gibbs shrugged. "Said he needed it for himself and Tim. Plus that it was probably best he there while Tim was unconscious."

Vance couldn't hide his smile at those words. "And are you going to tell me everything that's going on with my MCRT now?"

"Yeah," Gibbs sighed, ignoring the director's reference to his MCRT and took a seat before explaining in detail Monday's confrontation between Ziva and Tony and what she revealed about Tony's and Abby's activities. He followed that up with by sharing his conversation with Abby. Gibbs also relayed his conversations with Tim regarding the situation as well.

By the time he was finished, the director's face seemed to be carved in stone. "That explains why no one would tell me what happened," he finally stated. "No doubt with both Abby and Ziva involved, they were afraid of some form of retaliation."

Gibbs didn't say anything, but just sat there waiting.

After a few moments of silence, the director inquired, "Are you aware that DiNozzo talked with me earlier regarding his role in this fiasco?"

"Yeah."

Vance nodded, unsurprised by that. He figured that either Tony couldn't keep a secret from Gibbs or wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut about their meeting. "He had just finished confessing all of his actions when the meeting abruptly ended because I was informed that an agent was down. We didn't get around to discussing consequences or even what I thought about his activities."

Gibbs nodded, "What are you thinking?"

Vance paused and tapped his pointer fingers together. "I appreciate him talking to me," he shared. "He also refrained from discussing his teammates personal lives. Both of those show growth and that he is able to learn," he replied.

"Do you know what McGee had decided about this situation?" Since Gibbs had told Tim that he could decide whether or not to file a formal complaint, Vance would hate to make that decision without his input.

"No," Gibbs replied shaking his head, "That's a bit more complicated."

Vance raised an eyebrow, as he thought about why that might be, "Because of his and Abby's past?" That was the only explanation he could think of. Even though the two had never been together since he has known McGee, he has heard all the scuttlebutt concerning his two employees.

"Nope," Gibbs said, staring at Vance, "Because of his and Ziva's future," he announced, pleased that he had surprised and unsettled the Director.

"What?" Vance asked, almost falling out of his chair in surprise at that news.

Gibbs just shrugged, "Not my story to tell."

"But there is a story," Vance prodded.

"There _could_ be a story, hence the part about the future," he replied dryly.

"I take it no one knows since it hasn't been a topic of scuttlebutt?"

Gibbs smirked at him, "Nothing to know."

"Officially," Vance added, hearing Gibbs's 'yet' that went unsaid. "I do not think you would mention two of my agents,' our agents'," he corrected when Gibbs pointedly stared at him, " _future_ , if something wasn't happening in the present."

Gibbs just shrugged. If things progressed as he expected them to, soon the whole yard would be aware of Tim's and Ziva's feelings for one another.

"Tim has talked with Ducky quite a bit these last few days," Gibbs commented. "Perhaps he might be aware of something. Of course, it is quite possible that he will not want to break Tim's confidence by sharing what he knows with us."

Vance nodded, "I prefer we not ask him to unless it becomes necessary," he replied. "Would he have said anything to Ziva about what he was thinking?"

Gibbs shook his head, "They really haven't talked since this began Monday night."

"I see," Vance replied, remembering that Ziva had been the one to reveal what their coworkers were doing, surprising everyone, including Tim, with that information. Complicated was definitely the right word to describe this situation."Wait," Vance said, unable to believe that he was just putting the pieces together. "Tony and Abby were trying to figure out who Tim's new girlfriend is, who they believe he has been seeing since the beginning of February."

Gibbs nodded, suspecting what was coming next.

"And this whole time, it was _Ziva_?" he asked in disbelief. Not that Tim and Ziva together was a surprise. Okay, so, yes, it was, he had to admit, but the fact that they two members of the team have been dating for almost two months and a third member didn't suspect anything, especially since he's been trying to figure out who Tim was seeing the entire time was hysterical...and sad.

Vance snorted when Gibbs once again smirked at him, as if guessing what he was thinking. "They must be really good actors not to give anything away."

This time Gibbs snorted. No, he silently argued, they're really not. Not if they fell in love with each other while supposedly playing the role of _pretend couple_.

Shaking his head, the Director returned their attention to more serious matters. "What are you, as DiNozzo's direct supervisor, thinking?" Vance inquired.

"He's a good agent," Gibbs admitted. "I would hate for NCIS to lose that," he admitted.

"I agree," Vance replied, deciding not to comment on how Tony had missed his teammates dating. "Especially since he made a point of informing me what he had done. I would hate to reward that by terminating his employment. Especially, since, unless Tim files a complaint and IA runs an investigation _we_ are limited to our options regarding Abby's activities," Vance noted. "However," he added, "I do want it to be clear to Tony that his past behavior will no longer be tolerated."

"I believe he already knows that," Gibbs stated before sharing the conversation that had taken place between Tony and Abby.

"Good," Vance commented, nodding his head. Yes, it seemed like Tony might escape this still being employed by NCIS. "Now, we just need to determine how to proceed."

Gibbs paused as he admitted, "When I first heard about this, I actually said that I wanted to throw the book at them, along with some lamps."

Vance snickered, "Except for the lamps, I had similar thoughts when Tony made his confession to me," he admitted. "If we hadn't received that call regarding McGee, it was highly likely that my temper would've gotten the best of me and DiNozzo would've been suspended for life. While I regret that Tim was injured, I believe it is a good thing that I had the opportunity to calm down and hear more of the details.

"I would like to honor your promise to Timothy," he continued. "Should we set up a meeting with Tim as soon as he feels up to it, before we make any final decisions and then meet with Tony, Abby, and Ziva?"

Gibbs nodded, pleased with that option.

"Then that is what we will do," Vance decided. "As long as things remain under control," he added, a bit concerned that Abby would try to make waves, "This issue will be postponed until we know what actions Tim would like to take."

Standing up, ready to leave, an issue that they hadn't mentioned came to Gibbs's mind. "And if Tim decides he can't trust Tony? Won't work with him?" he asked.

"I already told Tony that I'm with McGee on this one and that Tony would be back as Agent Afloat," Vance replied.

Gibbs swallowed, "Could be good for Tony," he stated. "If he can't respect and work well with team members, maybe he shouldn't be part of a team," he noted.

Vance nodded thoughtfully. "That could give us a base to work with," he suggested. "A period of unpaid suspension, followed by some time as Agent Afloat as well as a probationary period," he speculated.

* * *

"God, Prob- _Tim_ , er, McGee," he said, struggling with the name of the man lying in the bed bedside him. Most of their coworkers had left the hospital a couple of hours ago, Ziva being one of the last to do so. In fact, if Gibbs hadn't called telling her to go home and get some sleep, he suspected that she wouldn't have left at all. Tony had a feeling that Ducky had contacted Gibbs to inform him of Ziva's reluctance to leave.

Ducky was the last to leave, waiting for the doctor to complete his nightly rounds so he could confer with him. Surprisingly, Tim had many visitors that evening, including Balboa and his team, as well as some other coworkers from NCIS who had stopped by on their way home to see how he was faring.

"I am so sorry, for everything," he muttered, resting his forehead against the top of Tim's bed. "I wish I had listened to you, actually _listened_ ," he repeated, "Instead of just, well, just being me," he admitted. "I never wanted you to be hurt. Not like this or how you have been the last few days, years," he corrected, knowing the fall out from his behavior wasn't just a recent thing.

"I can't tell you _why_ I did it, not without sounding even more like an idiot and jerk," Tony stated, "But please believe me that I'm sorry. That I am working on changing. I…" he paused for a moment as paranoia set in and he quietly checked that no one was listening at the door and that it was shut firmly, and that the attached bathroom was empty as well. Once he sat back down, he continued, "I actually called Kate's sister for a referral," he admitted part of him glad that Tim couldn't hear him. "I don't know if it'll do any good, I'm probably a textbook case of childhood trauma. Or it could simply be that I'm beyond help or that it's all in my head," he joked, "But, it…oh, god," he muttered before squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he realized that once more, he joked about a serious issue. "Yeah, obviously I am going to need a lot of help with this," he muttered, falling silent for a few moments as he observed Tim.

"Okay, serious, somber, solemn Tony," he reminded himself before he once more started talking, saying whatever was on his mind.

"You know, I think I told everyone else this, or like most secrets at NCIS, pretty much everyone knows even if they weren't told, but I know that I've never told you," Tony mused, staring at the unconscious agent. "You really are my closest friend and I _do_ consider you a friend, or rather, a brother," he admitted. "And I can understand why you don't think of me in the same way. I have been more bully than brother. More foe than friend, more tra-well, you get the point," Tony added, cutting himself off. "I really don't know how I'm going to make up for this, but I hope I've made a start, have shown that I am serious about this. And don't worry, I know the rules. Rule 45, clean up your messes," he added, in case Tim had forgotten, not that it was likely he heard Tony speaking at all. "I met with the Director earlier," he admitted. "I told him what I've done, especially the last few weeks, since he knew about most of the older stuff. I also told him about Iraq," Tony quietly admitted. "I know Gibbs said to let you decide who or what you tell, let you decide what happens, but I couldn't put that on you. It was _my_ actions and I needed to take responsibility for them. I don't know what's going to happen. He definitely didn't look pleased, not that I can blame him. Anyway, I kinda ran out of the room when I heard that an agent was down. All I could think about was finding out who was injured and how badly," he explained.

"God, Probie," Tony continued mournfully. "I was glad it was you, not because I wanted you to be hurt," he rushed to explain, as if Tim would sit up and start yelling at him again, "But because you're never seriously hurt, you always seemed to bounce back quickly. If it was you, than obviously, everything would be all right. Gibbs, well, he has a history of coma's and Ziva," he just shrugged, "Well, I guess she's not hurt too often either, seems to be just me and Gibbs apparently," he added dryly.

"Now, where way I?" he asked a few moments later. "Oh, yeah, you not being hurt. Now I'm beginning to think that you have been hurt worse than most of us, definitely worse than you've shared, you just didn't let it show. You picked yourself up and carried on, and damn, Probie, if that isn't impressive," Tony gave the sleeping man a smile. "Of course, it's also stupid. You could've seriously reinjured yourself, maybe even permanently injured yourself, so I'm telling you now, tell us when you're hurt or sick. Don't be an idiot or do something stupid. That's my department, you're the smart one, remember?" he added.

He paused once more, scrutinizing Tim to see if there were any signs he was regaining consciousness, when he couldn't find any, he continued talking.

"I talked with Abby today," he shared. "Please tell me that I was never that bad," he begged, pausing as if he was waiting for those words to leave Tim's mouth. "Yeah, I'm not surprised, that you aren't defending me, I don't think I can either," Tony replied giving a sigh. "At least I'm not in denial about this. I know I was wrong, and not just because I was spying on you and Sandy," he added. "Ah, yeah," he sheepishly admitted, "I sort of introduced myself to her," he admitted, before explaining the 'run in' he had with her last weekend.

"Geesh, Probie, it is so wrong to see you here, but I'm just glad that you are alive and able to be seen. Ziva was really worried. We all were, especially once we found out that you had been shot and stabbed. And you got your assailant," Tony felt obliged to point out. "Good work there, McGee," he added, patting Tim's left arm.

He paused again, just watching his partner breath, again grateful that he could see it. "I don't know what you plan on doing about Monday, but things are going to change, _I_ am going to change," Tony promised. "Whether you stay or go, whether we are still teammates and partners or not. Whether both of us, one of us, or neither of us work at NCIS, I will be different.

"You know," Tony began, looking around the room once again as if making sure no one else was listening to them, "I made a list of all the rules I had broken in relation to you, stop me if you don't want the highlights," he said, looking at Tim. "Okay, I warned you," he teased. "Hmm, obviously Rule 1-never screw over your partner; Rule 15,-always work as a team; Rule 14-bend the line, _don't_ break it; Rule 5-don't waste good; Rule 8-never take anything for granted; Rule 3-don't be unreachable, this was less in the physical sense and more in the emotional," Tony admitted before going on for almost an hour listing why he believed he broke those rules.

"Huh," he said once he finished, "I really expected Gibbs to appear out of no where and rebuke me for all the rules I broke. I mean, this conversation is exactly the kind he seems to overhear after appearing from thin air," Tony noted.

"The one rule I didn't break, Rule 6, is probably the only one I should have, 'never apologize'. Of course today Gibbs told me that there is an exception to that rule, apologies between friends don't count. Since I have never apologized to you, at least not sincerely," Tony admitted, "I guess it proves that we weren't friends. Something I really hope it isn't too late to fix," he added before falling silent and giving his voice a rest.

* * *

"How is he?" Ziva softly asked as she entered Tim's hospital room.

"The quietest I've ever seen him and for Probie, that's saying something," he added, smiling as he replied.

Ziva just rolled her eyes. "I have no doubt that you talked enough for three people."

Tony eyed her suspiciously, wondering if she might have heard his soliloquies.

"Found a couple of good movies on earlier," he replied, nodding towards the tv. "Of course, I had to make sure McGee knew every interesting little fact connected to it."

"Of course you did," she replied, smirking at him.

"He hasn't woken up at all," he informed her, knowing what information she really wanted to hear. "Hasn't even moved, well, except for his chest, you know, because he's breathing."

Ziva nodded and pulled up a chair beside Tony on Tim's left side deciding it was best to stay away from the injured area.

"You're early."

She shrugged, "Could not sleep," she admitted. "Had a lot on my mind."

"Yeah," he agreed, "Long day."

Ziva snorted, "Long week," she corrected.

"Yeah," Tony repeated as the two quietly sat and observed Tim.

"His girlfriend never showed," Tony said suddenly.

She turned and glared at him, "Is that why you wanted to stay? Why you wanted first shift? So you could meet her?"

"What?" Tony asked, surprised by her outburst. "NO!" he denied. "Besides, I already met her, remember?" he reminded her. "I just thought she would've been more concerned about him, even if they were fighting. I know she knows," he admitted. "Gibbs told me that she did."

Ziva shrugged, "You do not know what Gibbs said to her," she said in way of explanation.

Tony thought about that for a moment before snickering, "Can you imagine that conversation? Our functioning mute trying to tell Tim's girlfriend, who he's never met, that Tim was in the hospital? How would he be able to do that without inciting a panic?" he asked. "That is why I thought she might come, even if it was just a quick five minute visit, just to make sure that he was still breathing, ya know. I mean, we all did it, even after we heard from the doctor that the surgery went well and that Tim was fine. Hell, you did it twice," he added. "There's something about seeing it with your own eyes before you can truly believe it."

Ziva just shrugged. "For all you know, maybe she is trying to arrange things so that she is off tomorrow to spend the day with him."

"Maybe," Tony replied doubtfully. After all, if she couldn't even show up after he got out of surgery, she probably wouldn't take the time to rearrange her entire day.

"Sarah came," he informed her. McSister had actually appeared less than half an hour after Ziva had left. At that point, only he and Ducky had still been at the hospital. "She asked where you were. I told her you had the later shift." He frowned as he thought about that visit. "She didn't ask about Abby," he suddenly realized finding that odd and saying so.

Ziva shrugged, "Perhaps she knows about what is going on," she offered. "Gibbs called her to stay with Tim Monday night. I do not know what, if anything, they told her, but it could be possible that Tim mentioned something."

"That would explain why she kept glaring at me," Tony commented.

"Maybe she just does not like you," Ziva offered, her tone serious.

"Oh, come on, what's not to like?" he asked, opening his arms in presentation. "Don't answer that," he added when Ziva opened her mouth to comment.

"Oh, I really think I should," Ziva argued.

Tony frowned at her eager tone. "You didn't create a power point presentation did you?" he asked before shaking his head and continuing before she could respond. "Am I really that bad?" he seriously asked, his eyes focused on Tim as he averted Ziva's gaze. "I mean, I know at times I get a bit annoying and might get on everyone's nerves,"

"At times? A bit? Might?" she questioned.

"But I have my good points, right?" he asked, speaking over Ziva's commentary.

"Right?" He repeated that last word and turned to Ziva when she failed to answer the first time he asked.

"Oh, that question was not rhetorical?"

Tony shrugged, "I guess it is now," he said once more looking away from her.

She paused a moment, "Do you want me to be honest? No pulled punches?"

"Seriously, you didn't create a slide show, did you?" he joked, changing his demeanor when Ziva just continued to look at him. Gulping, he replied, "Yes, be honest. No pulled punches," he agreed.

"Agreed," she said, holding out a hand for him to shake. As he did so, she added, "If at anytime you want me to shut up, you just have to say the word. I promise that _I_ will respect your decision."

Tony nodded.

"Then, yes, you do have your good points, but they often get lost or overshadowed by the bad," she added before explaining what she meant.

"You are a good investigator, but often come across as arrogant and judgmental. You often act as if no one else has anything of value to offer, that you are superior to everyone else because of the skills you have learned after decades on the job.

"You can be humorous, but cross the line into rude, mocking, and insulting. Laughing, joking, teasing, all of these things are very different from belittling, bullying and being abusive. Yes, sometimes we do need someone to lighten the atmosphere, but not at another's expense.

"You are _not_ a good friend or partner," she stated bluntly. "While curiosity makes a great investigator, constantly butting into the personal lives of your coworkers should not be acceptable. You don't respect their privacy or secrets and refuse to stop when they ask you too. All of that can be interpreted to mean that you do not respect _them_.

She paused for a moment, giving Tony a chance to talk or to ask her to stop. When he didn't say anything, she continued,

"You often talk about Tim being insecure, but I believe that you are as well, even more than him in my opinion," she noted. "You are insecure because you do not let people see the real you, making you wonder if they would care for you if you were different; if you were true to yourself. If they would like you if you weren't always the class clown putting on a show, but were _real_ with them.

"You often tease and mock Tim about the self-help CD's and books he utilizes, but at least Tim is trying to improve himself, change things _he_ doesn't like about himself. When was the last time you tried to do that? Personally or professionally?" she asked.

Looking at him for a moment, she continued, "You said you learned a lot these last few days, the question is, what are you going to do about it? We have talked a few times and you have shared how you felt, how you _really_ felt," she stressed, "yet the next time we talk, it is as if you had forgotten that. It is back to the insults and mocking, to the regular Tony. Since all this has started, I often thought that you were like a yodel, going up and down, up and down, as if you were on a little string. One moment you seemed to realize the affect your words had on Tim, and watched what you said, the next you were back to the teasing and insults."

Understanding that she meant, yo-yo, Tony had to bite his lip to keep from either correcting her or yodeling as she explained her point. He suspected that if he did either one of those things, she would kill him, with or without a paper clip being handy.

"You can be serious," she noted, "We just have to work on you being _real_ ," she concluded, sitting back in her chair and staring at Tim who still hadn't moved.

A few minutes later, as she continued to watch Tim a thought came to her, one she thought Tony would appreciate at this moment. "You know, Tim once told me that he didn't mind most of the McNicknames you used."

"Really?" Tony asked, grinning widely.

" _Most_ ," she repeated, emphasizing the word. "The humorous ones he liked, the insulting ones," she shook her head, "Not so much."

Tony nodded, glad that perhaps some things could stay. "And Probie?"

She hesitated.

"What?"

"He is torn," she confessed.

"Why?"

"Because Mike Franks still calls Gibbs Probie."

"That should make it a good thing, right?" Tony asked with a frown, "I mean, Gibbs doesn't mind it."

"I know, he knows." Ziva said, inclining her head towards the still body on the bed. "But Mike does not say it mockingly. It is obvious when it is said that it is said with affection."

"Oh," Tony said with sudden insight, not having anything else to say. He had asked the question, he realized and had wanted her to be honest, so he really couldn't blame her for what she said, nor could he get mad at her. The funny thing was, he wasn't mad. Yeah, what she said hurt, but mostly because he knew how true her words were.

This wasn't the talk he imagined the two of them having, Tony realized. He thought that they would discuss what was at the root of Ziva's treatment of him. Why she suddenly seemed so bothered by everything he said or did. Of course, he realized, thinking of 'his faults', perhaps he got his answer after all. Time would tell whether or not he and Ziva could rebuild, or rather _build_ a friendship between them.

Ziva kept looking nervously at Tony. She didn't want him to be mad at her, nor did she want him saddened by what she said. She mentioned the nicknames to try to help him feel better, but when he asked about 'Probie', she knew she couldn't lie. She remembered Tim telling her how surprised he felt when Mike called Gibbs Probie and him Probie's Probie. It made him feel connected, like he belonged. At least until the next time Tony said it mockingly, turning an affectionate name into an insult, Tim had shared.

The two remained silent, sipping their drinks and watching Tim, neither one eager to fall asleep with the other there.

As it got later and closer to the time for Tony to head out, Ziva realized that the quiet hospital room that held a sleeping Tim was the perfect time to share something she had often thought about with Tony.

"You missed out on a great opportunity," she suddenly said, her voice sad. "You and Tim could have been a great team. You are different enough that you easily complement one another, balance each other out. The two of you could have been unstoppable.

"He would have been the best friend you could ever have imagined. He could have been your closest friend, not just because of circumstances, but because of how the two of you cared for and trusted one another.

"He is a great agent," she pointed out again. "But how much of that is despite what you did, rather than because of you? You had years of experience, from both the force and NCIS and he was basically straight out of FLETC, with limited practical experience. He would have been so eager to learn. I have no doubt that Tim would have soaked everything up like a sponge. You could have had a hand in mentoring an NCIS legend.

"The two of you _could_ have been brothers in everything but name," she added. "You would have been the one he went to for dating advice when he met a girl he liked, for sympathy when they broke up. He would have gladly, eagerly shared everything with you. You would have been the Best Man at his wedding; godfather and uncle to his kids. If you had gotten married, he would have played that role at your wedding, with your kids. Those kids would have grown up together as best friends and cousins, your families celebrating all the holidays, birthdays, and momentous occasions together.

"You could have meant so much to Tim," she stated. "You could have been his mentor, his partner, his friend, his brother," she concluded. "Instead, in many ways, you are like a stranger to him and he to you. Think on that," she added before excusing herself to get some tea before taking over guard duty.

* * *

"Ziva, Ziva, time to get up," Gibbs called, shaking her shoulder.

"What?" She asked, keeping her eyes closed. She had been in the middle of the best dream. Perhaps if she remained where she was she could recapture that moment when Gibbs left.

"It's morning. Thought you might appreciate time to go home to get ready for work."

"I am good," she responded, snuggling back under the blanket, eyes closed.

"I'm sure you are," Gibbs smirked. "But the doctor would probably like you out of the bed when they come in on their morning rounds."

Ziva stilled for a moment before slowly opening her eyes. "Oh," she whispered. She vaguely remembered wanting to be closer to Tim, and deciding to sit on the left side of his bed. When the nighttime nurse had come in and hadn't said anything about her position there, she stayed, eventually laying her head beside him as she lightly brushed her hand across his face, softly singing to him.

"Easy now," Gibbs stated, as she hurriedly tried to scramble to sit up and get off the bed at the same time. "I got you," he said, helping her off the bed and onto her feet.

"I…we…" she stumbled over her words.

"It's okay," he said. "I get it. Yesterday was a long day."

Ziva nodded, grateful that he wasn't demanding an explanation of why she was in bed with Tim.

"How was your night?"

"Comfortable," Ziva responded automatically before blushing. "I mean, Tim slept comfortably."

"I am sure he did," Gibbs smirked, ignoring the glare Ziva sent his way.

"He did not wake up at all, I do not think he even moved," she admitted. "Are you sure the doctors said this was normal?"

Gibbs shrugged, "They said that sleep is the best thing for his recovery, something Ducky agreed with. We'll know more when they come by this morning."

She nodded, before casting a glance at the door, "Just you this morning?"

"Yeah."

Ziva nodded again. "Tony told me that he was with the director talking about his actions when he heard that an agent was down. Did Tim make his decision?"

"No," Gibbs said, handing her the cup of tea he brought with him. "Tony went to the director himself."

Ziva scowled at that news. "You told him not to," she hissed. "You told him to let Tim decide what to do. How could he-"

"Ziva," Gibbs interrupted. "This is a good thing."

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"Tony's taking responsibility for his actions, Rule 45," he added. "Vance took it as a sign he could learn, while Ducky said he was growing up."

"It is a shame Tim almost had to die to make that happen," she snapped.

"Hey," Gibbs said, waiting until he held Ziva's eyes. "You said it yourself, Tony was talking to the director _before_ Tim was hurt."

"I…right," she said, remembering the timeline.

Gibbs nodded, "It might be a case of too little, too late, but it's a start," he shared. "Maybe someday the boys could have the type of relationship they both want. And I know that you are only trying to look out for Tim," he began, "But you can't continue snapping at Tony every time he says or does something. What happens between the two of them is between the two of them. Tony doesn't need you jumping down his throat constantly and Tim doe not need you to defend him. He's finding his own voice, let him use it," Gibbs added.

"I know," Ziva replied. "Tim told me that we have gone through a role reversal when it comes to Tony. I am now getting mad at him, while it seems to roll down his back."

Gibbs hid is smile at her error by taking a sip of coffee.

"We actually talked tonight," she admitted. "I think it went well," she added. "Time will tell."

Gibbs nodded, hoping that his team would have that time.

* * *

2-21-19

So, anyone else go 'Awwww' at the image of Ziva asleep next to Tim in the hospital bed?

Hope you liked it. What did you think of the Tony's 'talk' with Tim?

What about the talk between Tony and Ziva? Was she too harsh or too easy on him?

In case you're wondering why Vance and Gibbs didn't discuss Abby during their meeting, it is because Gibbs should not be involved. He is not her supervisor, so should have no impact on how Vance disciplines her.


	82. Friday Mar 27, One Ring, Two Ring (J82)

Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Friday Mar 27, One Ring, Two Ring (J82)

* * *

A half hour before their normal workday was scheduled to begin Tony casually sauntered into Tim's hospital room.

"Boss," Tony said in surprise as he came to a complete stop. "I, uh, yeah, I was on my way into work when I decided to stop by and see how Tim was doing and if McSleepy had woken up yet. I wasn't going to be late, really," he said sneaking a look at the time.

Gibbs just rolled his eyes and waved him to chair.

"So, any news?" Tony asked as he joined his them.

"The doctor said that Tim's sleeping now, a natural sleep," Ziva spoke softly, not wanting to wake her injured teammate. "He has not woken yet but could wake in an hour or three or more," she added, guessing the next question.

Tony nodded and the room once more went silent.

"C'mon," Gibbs said as he stood up and headed towards the door, indicating for his two agents to join him.

Tony frowned as he and Ziva both stood, "Where are we going?"

"To the yard, we still have a case solve."

Tony and Ziva exchanged looks before Ziva stubbornly sat back down.

"Uh, Boss, what about McGee?"

"He'll be staying here," Gibbs replied dryly. "He'll be fine."

"But we can't just leave him," Tony protested, refusing to take another step.

"We need to get back to work," Gibbs informed his team, "There is nothing we can do for Tim here. What would Tim want? Us to sit here staring at him while he sleeps or working the case to give our vic's family closure?"

Tony scrunched up his nose, knowing and not liking the answer to that question, "Working the case," he admitted. "But we can't leave him alone."

"He won't be alone," Gibbs replied as he looked out into the hallway.

"Nurses don't count," Tony argued softly, trying to remain calm so he wouldn't wake Tim. Though if he did wake, Tony wouldn't have to worry about him doing so while alone. "Look, I'm just saying that it probably wouldn't be a good idea if he wakes up and none of us are here. He needs to know that we care, we need to _show_ that we care and leaving him in the hospital to wake up without anyone by his side doesn't support that idea," Tony stated emphatically.

"And yeah, we might have a case to solve and intellectually, McGee might understand that, but understanding and feeling are two very different things. Hell, even when you guys thought I was contagious with the plague I wasn't alone, someone was always there. That meant more to me than you guys could imagine," he admitted. "Tim needs to know that he matters to us and staying with him is a good start.

"I'm not saying all of us have to stay," he added when Gibbs turned to look at him, "But surely we can take shifts or something. Two of us at the yard, one here. When he is awake, the rest of us can come back then."

"Sorry, I'm late, Jethro, traffic was unbearable," Ducky stated as he rushed into Tim's room.

Ziva and Tony just stared at him in surprise.

"You had no intention of leaving him alone," Tony said, realizing that he just went off on Gibbs for no reason.

"Nope," Gibbs replied with a smirk as he ushered Tony out of Tim's room, "But it was good to see you thinking about what was best for Tim, what he might need or want," he added, patting Tony's shoulder as the younger man walked by.

"Come on, Ziva," he ordered the Mossod Officer who was keeping a silent vigil over her friend. "Ducky will call us when Tim's awake. I promise we will return then."

Standing up she looked at Tim's sleeping form before leaning over him and lightly caressing his face, "I will see you soon, my love," she whispered softly before gently kissing his lips then straightening and heading to the doorway where Gibbs was telling Ducky what the doctor had said during morning rounds.

"I will see you at the yard," Ziva replied as she exited the room, the older men watching her until she entered the elevator.

"Did she…" Ducky began to ask once she was out of sight.

"Yep," Gibbs confirmed, a smile on his lips.

"My, oh my," Ducky said in pleasant surprise. He had suspected that the two were seeing one another and had it confirmed a few days ago by Gibbs, but seeing Ziva so openly affectionate with Tim made it more real than anything else could have.

* * *

Once back at the yard, they immediately began working on the case, hoping that if they got enough information, or even solved it, they could return to the hospital, even if Ducky hadn't called them yet.

The first time Gibb's phone rang, the team had just sat down. Tony and Ziva immediately stood back up. As they moved to stand in front of Gibbs's desk, coats in hand, he hung up the phone.

Tony smiled, a short call, that was a good indicator. After all, how long would it take Ducky to say 'He's awake.'? Then again, this was Ducky, Tony mused, in a better mood now that Tim was awake. Knowing the ME, this probably reminded him of some time in his life.

Gibbs looked at his team and raised an eyebrow.

"Well?" Tony asked, "What did Ducky say? How's Tim feeling? Have the doctor's seen him yet?"

"Don't know," Gibbs replied, as he returned to the papers on his desk, "That was a wrong number."

"Seriously?" Tony exclaimed as he retreated back to his desk. How does someone call NCIS by mistake?

* * *

The second time Gibb's phone rang, less than a half hour after the first time, Tony and Ziva began clearing their desks, hoping it meant that they would soon be leaving. As soon as Gibbs used the familiar name, they realized that it wasn't regarding Tim. They then sat back down at their desks to get some work done, hoping that they wouldn't be here for much longer.

"Gibbs…Yeah…I don't know, Fornell, you tell me what you would do…of course I did…Exactly…Definitely unusual…working on it…Really?...Okay…ya think?...I will," he said before hanging up the phone. He looked at his team, surprised that they hadn't been standing in front of him ready to go.

Feeling his eyes on them, they looked up. Guessing what he was thinking, Tony supplied the answer, "You called him Fornell," Tony explained. "We figured it was a safe bet that he wasn't calling to tell us that Tim woke up."

Gibbs nodded, he hadn't even realized he had done so. "No, he called to find out how he was doing and to ask that I keep him posted about Tim's condition."

"That was nice of him," Ziva commented.

Gibbs shrugged, "He likes McGee, says he's a good egg," he added dryly.

* * *

Tony was trying hard not to stare at Gibbs's phone hoping it would ring, unfortunately that seemed to be the only thing he could focus on this morning. Looking up from the notes in front of him his eyes automatically drifted to Gibbs's desk and his phone.

"Problem, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, catching his agent's eyes.

"Ah, yeah," he said, once more looking at the papers on his desk. "We really need to talk to our suspect, the guy who attacked McGee. Can we go-"

"No," Gibbs answered, knowing that Tony was going to suggest a visit to the hospital. Gibbs had a feeling that once his team left the Navy yard, it would be almost impossible to get them to return.

"You'll have to go through the FBI, see what information they've gotten so far," Gibbs told him, causing Tony to frown at that news.

"Did they ID him yet?"

"If I knew, you would know," Gibbs replied.

"Right," Tony stated as he picked up the phone to contact the FBI agent involved in Tim's case.

"Gibbs," Ziva said softly, not wanting to distract Tony while he was on the phone, "I was thinking about the tunnels under the building," she admitted. "I double checked, they are not mentioned anywhere in the blueprint design, so how and why were they created? I think we need to talk with the owners of the building, see if they know about them. We should also contact the builder and architect. Someone had to create them and make sure that they were structurally safe."

Gibbs nodded, "Good thinking. Get on it," he ordered.

Gibbs's phone rang for the third time a few minutes later. Tony and Ziva once again started to straighten their desks, shut down their computers, and gather their belongings in preparation of returning to the hospital, before he had even answered it. They were positive that this was the call they had been waiting for.

Gibbs, while still on the phone, had to snap his fingers at them to get their attention. He then shook his head and pointed them back to their desks.

Disappointed, they sat back down and reluctantly got back to work.

After hanging up the phone, Gibbs informed them that the caller was the director and that he was heading up there for a meeting.

Tony's eyes widened as he realized the most likely topic of conversation, his recent actions and confession to the Director yesterday. Immediately, Tony lowered his head and diligently began working, too nervous about what was going on upstairs to say anything.

* * *

"Yeah," Gibbs satd as he entered the director's office.

Vance indicated for him to take a seat, refusing to speak until the other man complied.

"We have a situation," the Director began, "Ducky just called me."

"Oh, God, Tim," Gibbs worriedly uttered. "What happened? Is he okay? Damn it! I knew something wasn't right, that he should have woken up by now, even if just for a few minutes. Is it a coma? Loss of memory? Infection in one of his wounds? _Both_ of his wounds?"

Vance just let Gibbs continue, getting out his concern and frustration. He had never seen the team leader so frightened as he was at this moment.

"It's not Tim," Vance finally stated when Gibbs stopped and looked at him for answers. "It's Miss Sciuto."

Gibbs sat back down in relief that Tim was okay. Groaning and running a hand over his face he asked, "What'd she do now?"

The director raised an eyebrow at that question. "I'm surprised that you're admitting she could and _would_ do something."

"Yeah, well, like DiNozzo, my eyes have recently been opened and I'm beginning to see things clearly."

Vance nodded, accepting that explanation for now. "Well, let's hope it hasn't happened to late to get through to her," he stated. "You consistently intervening in her disagreements with her co-workers didn't do anyone any favors."

Gibbs nodded, "So I'm beginning to realize," he stated. He had never imagined that she would take advantage of his affection for her like that.

"So, what'd she do?" he asked again.

"She went to the hospital to see Agent McGee."

Gibbs frowned as he stared at the director. That couldn't be the big crime, after all, he and Tony had done the same thing today and Ducky was there now.

Realizing more of an explanation was necessary, Vance continued, "She entered the room shouting at him. Ranting about how she was going to tell him what to do and if he knew what was good for him he would listen to her. She then informed him that being injured was a good excuse for reexamining his life and realizing that the people in it, especially her, were more important than what he learned about earlier this week. That he wasn't going to file a complaint about it and would ask Gibbs that no corrective action be taken against her or Tony because he knows that anything they _might_ have done, they only did because they were worried about him."

Gibbs scowled at hearing about the one-sided conversation.

"She informed him that things would soon be back to normal, after all, how long could he expect _her_ Gibbs to be so nice to him, especially if Timmy got her in trouble with Leon," the director grimaced at the use of his first name, but according to Ducky, that was how Abby referred to him. "She continued saying as a matter of fact, the only reason Gibbs was paying so much attention to him and how he was feeling was so that Timmy wouldn't make waves, but finally feel part of the team."

Gibbs's mouth tightened and his eyes hardened as he heard that last part.

Vance held up a hand to refrain him from speaking yet, as well as to let him know that there was more. "By then, Ducky had exited the attached bathroom and was standing behind her. He had been in the room for the majority of her rant, but had heard all of it due to the thin hospital walls and Abby's piercing tone."

Gibbs had no doubt about that.

"Clearing his throat, Abby spun around, shocked to see him. At that point, Abby blurted out his name, asking 'Ducky? You're here? I thought everyone was at work, I checked!'"

Vance paused a moment, before adding, "How she checked and who specifically she checked on, I do not know yet. However, it seems that she left the yard a few moments after you, Tony, and Ziva sat down at your desks."

"Cameras," Gibbs muttered. "She probably hacked into the bullpen security cameras."

The director nodded, that was his suspicion as well.

"Before Ducky could say anything, Abby surprisingly regained control of herself and began saying how worried she had been about Timmy, how no one had called her with an update. How that worry escalated when the nursing staff informed her that he hadn't woken up at all yet. She had hoped that by entering his room yelling and pretending to be mad at him it would shock him into awareness."

Did Abby really expect anyone to believe that? Gibbs thought as he raised an eyebrow, communicating that thought to the director. Of course, he then sheepishly admitted, at least to himself, in the past _he_ would have. He would have trusted Abby, that she wouldn't lie to him, that she wasn't so selfish, so self-focused, and manipulative.

"Ducky told me that he just nodded, causing Abby to give a sigh of relief as she then believed that Ducky accepted her words as truth. Abby also told him that she informed you where she was going and why."

Gibbs startled at that, automatically pulling out his phone to check it for missed calls or texts. Frowning he reported, "I haven't heard from her all day. No notes, no calls or voicemails, no texts."

"Email?" Vance asked.

Gibbs shook his head automatically, "Abby knows I don't check email. Hell, everyone knows that," he added. "She also knows that McGee usually has to remind me to do so," he reluctantly shared.

They both paused for a moment, their eyes meeting as they had the same thought at the same time. "Email," they both concluded, saying the word in unison.

Gibbs sighed audibly. "When I return to my desk, I'll check it," he promised before shaking his head. "She's trying to cover her tracks," he added.

Vance smiled at him, one that eerily reminded Gibbs of an animated pink striped cat he remembered from when his daughter was alive. 'The fact that she _knows_ you don't check email is suspicious enough," he quickly replied. "Add in the fact that she doesn't report to you, but to me augments her duplicity. I have repeatedly reminded her of that fact and have informed her that she needs to run such things by me for approval, not you."

Gibbs nodded, "So what are you going to do?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Vance stated. "If we view this as part of the incident from earlier this week, about her activities regarding McGee's personal life, we already agreed to wait until Tim is able to discuss things with us."

Gibbs nodded, "And everything she shouted at him was about that situation," he acknowledged, causing Vance to nod.

"However," he said, his grin returning, "The fact that she left the yard without approval from her supervisor is _definitely_ not connected to the incident that happened earlier this week. It _can_ and should be dealt with immediately. She needs to learn that such behavior is _not_ acceptable," he stated firmly.

"Her pay will be docked for the time she was absent from the lab without permission. I would like to suspend her, preferably for three days," he admitted. "However, I fear that would just give her more time to try to corner McGee, since he will most likely be released from the hospital and home by Monday."

Gibbs nodded, that would be an issue. Tim did not need to spend his recovery time trying to dodge Abby's calls or deal with her sudden appearances at his apartment.

"I doubt she has gotten any work done today," Gibbs slowly stated. After all, most of her morning before rushing to the hospital was probably spent spying on the bullpen. "Why not just one day of suspension? Today," he clarified, before adding, "no pay. And dock her the additional time as well."

Vance nodded, "That could be possible, lI will have to check with HR and legal," he replied, ending their meeting by asking him to give some thought over the weekend about possible consequences for Abby, Tony, and Ziva.

* * *

2-23-19

Hope you guys enjoyed it. I would love to know your thoughts about what happened or what you think might happen next.

Should Ziva face consequences regarding her outburst in the bullpen?

I should have another chapter up tomorrow...


	83. Friday Mar 27 Call Me (J83)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Friday Mar 27 Ring around the bullpen

* * *

The fourth time Gibbs's phone rang was while he was still with the director. Ziva and Tony immediately looked at each other before racing towards his phone.

"Gibbs's desk," Ziva answered, being the one to pick up the receiver. Normally she would gloat over the fact that she beat Tony to the phone, this time, however she was too worried about Tim to rub Tony's nose in it.

"No, he is not here, if he were do you think I would be answering his phone?" she snapped to the caller, causing Tony to take a step back at the vitriol in her voice.

"If he wanted you to know, he would have told you," she replied firmly. Her demeanor becoming stiffer at every word the caller uttered in reply. "Do not play those games with me, Abigail," she snapped before slamming down the phone.

"I take it that wasn't about Scrabble, Monopoly, or Clue?" Tony asked, watching Ziva warily.

Ziva spun and glared at him, before regaining control and admitting, "No. She was trying to manipulate me into telling her where Gibbs was."

"Not unexpected," Tony admitted, continuing when Ziva glared at him again, "Hey! I didn't say it was right, just that it isn't surprising she would try that."

Ziva snorted, "Well she has not power here," she muttered, as she returned to her desk, not noticing Tony biting his own lip to keep him from asking her what movie she got that line from.

* * *

At the sound of a ringing phone, Tony and Ziva both looked up and exchanged looks.

"It's Probie's phone, not Gibbs's," Tony noted.

Ziva nodded, "I am certain that it is not Ducky," she replied, getting back to work.

Tony nodded, but still stared at Tim's ringing phone. After a few minutes he moved to answer it.

"Do not dare," Ziva warned.

"Could be case related," Tony commented. "Someone he contacted yesterday or Wednesday finally getting back to him. We really should answer it," he added, not reaching for the phone since Ziva had a steady supply of paper clips in reach.

"Or it could be personal," Ziva argued, glaring at him.

"Like Probie would get personal calls," Tony began, noticing Ziva scowling at him, "On his work phone, I mean. McGee wouldn't give that phone number out to people. Hell, he usually doesn't even tell the woman he dates where he works or what he does," Tony added.

Ziva calmed down, realizing that Tony hadn't said it as a slur against Tim's personal life.

"And if by chance it was personal," Tony noted, "Wouldn't that be even more reason to answer it? They should know that he's been hurt."

"You can't just give that information out to anyone that calls his number," Ziva hissed as she stood up and walked over towards him and Tim's desk.

"Give me some credit," Tony snaps, "I think I can determine the right thing to do."

Ziva snorted at his reply. "Well, just to avoid you having to deal with the temptation of disclosing anything you might learn from the caller, _I_ will answer the phone," she stated firmly as she picked up the receiver.

"Timothy McGee's desk, Ziva David speaking," she said into the phone before pausing a moment and replacing the receiver in the cradle. "Hmm, they must have hung up."

"See, I should have answered it earlier," Tony commented as he returned to his desk.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "If it was important they will either call back or leave a message. If they call back, _I_ will answer it sooner. If the message light goes on, we'll tell Tim when we see him in the hospital, he can check his voicemails and let us know if we need to follow up on the call."

" _If_ we get to see him," Tony muttered, causing his coworker to frown at him.

"Gibbs promised that we could go to the hospital when Tim wakes up. He will not renege on that."

"Oh, I know he won't," Tony confirmed. "It's McGee I'm worried about," he began.

"That he won't want to see us?" a now worried Ziva asked.

Tony frowned, "Well, I wasn't worried about that before, but now I am," he muttered. "Thanks, Ziva," he drawled sarcastically.

Ziva huffed, "Then what did you mean?"

"If he's ever going to wake up…not like that," Tony corrected when she paled. "I know that he will, that he'll be fine, but it's just taking forever. Seriously, how can a guy sleep so much?"

"Medication," Ziva responded, dryly.

"The doctor said he could wake up in an hour," Tony argued.

"Or three, possibly more, everyone reacts different to the medication," Ziva added. "It has not been that long."

"Long enough," Tony muttered before getting back to work.

* * *

"Abby called for you," Ziva commented when Gibbs returned to his desk.

"Uh-huh," he replied logging into his computer and email, not making any effort to return her call or see what she wanted.

Surprised at his actions, Tony and Ziva exchanged.

"McGee's phone also rang," Tony added.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow as he looked at them, "Who was it?"

"We do not know," Ziva admitted, "By the time we decided to answer it, they hung up."

Gibbs snorted, most likely they were fighting over _whom_ should answer it. "If it's important they'll call back," he informed his team as he continued to check his email and missing Ziva's gloating grin towards Tony.

The fifth time Gibbs's phone rang was right after he responded to Ziva. Tony and Ziva immediately stopped working and just looked at him, hoping it was Ducky with news that Tim had finally woken up.

"Gibbs," he greeted, listening for a moment before shaking his head at the two sets of eyes that were staring at him that it wasn't the call they had been waiting for. "Yeah, we were right…No, I haven't…Yeah, I will…I know…Nope, not my job," he smirked as he spoke the last reply. "Yeah, have fun with that," he said, giving a small laugh as he hung up the phone.

Gibbs sat in his chair as he looked at the agent diagonally across from him. "DiNozzo, with me," he said, standing up and walking away.

"Yeah, boss," Tony said as he reached Gibbs's side.

"In here," he said, nodding his head towards the conference room.

Tony gulped, this was almost as bad as being sent to the principles office, he thought. Not sure whether or not he should be happy that his meeting wasn't taking place in the director's office.

Entering the room, Tony quickly sat down, hands clasped in his lap as he waited for Gibbs to start the conversation.

"I told the Director about my conversations with Tim, about letting him decide if he wanted to file a formal complaint."

Tony nodded and visibly gulped once more, wondering if he was finally going to find out what was going to happen to him. To say that the director didn't look pleased when he heard about Tony's actions the last few weeks would be a gross understatement. In fact, Tony was surprised that he hadn't been booted out of the agency the moment the words left his mouth.

"Vance wants to honor that," Gibbs continued, "Unfortunately, no one knows what Tim has decided yet. Therefore, we are going to wait until McGee has recovered enough to meet with the me and the director before any decisions will be made."

Tony nodded his understanding.

"That means that you still do not press Tim for his answer, nor do you try to talk him into one action or another, got it?"

"Yes," Tony verbally acknowledged.

"Good. I also recommend that you don't talk about this situation with anyone else," Gibbs stated before exiting the conference room.

* * *

The sixth time Gibb's phone rang, was just after Gibbs and Tony had left. Ziva checked to see if Gibbs or Tony might have heard the ring and were on their way back to answer it. When she didn't see any movement, she automatically reached over to answer it. Before her hand could pick up the receiver, she changed her mind, slowly retracting her hand away from the phone. Yes, it could be Ducky, but it could also be Abby, or with the way her luck has been lately, someone even more irritating she mused. Deciding that if it _was_ Ducky he would call Gibbs's cell phone, she returned to her desk. Still, she couldn't help glancing at the phone, and thinking next time, if no one else was around, she would answer it and take the risk of it not being Ducky. That was better than sitting here wondering if she made the wrong choice by not answering, she realized.

* * *

The seventh time Gibb's phone rang, Tony had returned to the bullpen, but Gibbs hadn't done so yet. This time, DiNozzo seemed to anticipate the phone ringing, leaping across the room to snatch the receiver before Ziva had even moved.

"Gibbs's desk, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo speaking," Tony greeted. "Oh, yeah, hi, Jimmy," he replied, shaking his head at Ziva to let her know it wasn't about Tim. "Hmm, not sure, probably the break room for coffee, it's been a long day…yeah, I know the current time…Yeah, I know he doesn't really consider that coffee, but I don't think he's wandering too far from home until we hear about McGee…shouldn't be long…yeah, you can probably call him back in a couple of minutes, or I can tell him to call you…you sure…okay then," he added before hanging up and staring at Gibbs's phone.

"You know," he mused out loud, "I'm beginning to think this phone isn't working."

Ziva frowned, "You just used it," she replied in confusion.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted. "But why does it seem like everyone _except_ Ducky is calling? I mean, come on, even the autopsy Grem-" he broke off when Ziva pointedly cleared her throat and glared at him. "Even Jimmy called. Jimmy never calls Gibbs. In fact, he makes a point of it not to be left alone with Gibbs if he can prevent it," Tony added.

Ziva just shook her head and returned to her work. If she couldn't be at the hospital with Tim, at least she might be able to accomplish something here, like finding out why he was attacked.

"Hey," Tony exclaimed, "Do you think that perhaps _Ducky's_ phone is the one that's not working?"

"Tony," an exasperated Ziva began.

"No, no, hear me out," he replied. "It would make sense. I mean, why else would Tim still be asleep for this long?"

"Perhaps because he was shot _and_ stabbed yesterday and then spent the rest of the afternoon in surgery?" Gibbs offered.

"Oh, well, yeah, there is that," Tony acknowledged. "But what if there is a problem with Ducky's phone? Maybe we should go to the hospital to check?" he suggested.

"There isn't a problem with Ducky's phone," Gibbs informed his agent, not wanting to admit that the ME had called the director earlier that morning. "However, if there was, I am sure somewhere in the hospital there is another phone Ducky could use to call us to tell us that McGee is awake," Gibbs stated, before responding to Tony's last remark. "But if I really thought there was a problem, I would test it by calling him," Gibbs pointed out.

"Oh, right," a deflated Tony responded, returning to his desk. "Hey, can I-"

"No, you cannot call him," Gibbs interrupted. "Unless you'd rather do that then go to the hospital when he does call," he offers.

"No, no, I'm good," Tony replied. "I have plenty of other people I can call," he said tapping the papers on his desk.

"Good," Gibbs replied with a smirk.

* * *

The eighth time Gibb's phone rang, Tony and Ziva once more paused in their work to listen to the call. Keeping one ear on Gibb's conversation, they soon realized that it wasn't Ducky on the line, however, they couldn't help but be curious about who Gibbs was so mad at.

"Yeah, I saw that… Not my business…Shouldn't have done that…or that… None of it…Nope…No, you need to tell somebody else, not me," he said, holding the phone away from his ear, allowing Ziva and Tony to realize that the caller was still speaking. Without saying another word Gibbs hung up the phone.

"Hope you got something," Gibbs said, feeling their gaze on him.

Ziva grabbed her folder, "I talked to the owner of the building, by way of video conferencing," she added. Part of her wanted to talk to him in person so she could determine if he was being honest with her, however a bigger part of her did not want to leave the yard in case Gibbs received the call that Timothy was awake. "He had no idea those tunnels existed, and in fact, did not believe me when I mentioned them to him. I had to show him the pictures the FBI agents sent us before he took me seriously. He did, however tell me the company that built that building as well as the architect. He mentioned that the company they used was a couple of hundred thousand dollars under the other estimates and that he had never worked with them before, but had heard about them. He admitted that he was leery going with such a low estimate, afraid that there would be a lot of unforeseen expenses added on, but after talking with other clients and finding out that a lot of their jobs came in _under_ budget, he decided to take a chance. When asked, he told me that they finished on time and on budget," Ziva frowned, "He sounded very surprised that both of those things happened, which I do not understand," Ziva admitted. "Anyway, I have tried contacting the construction company, but have not received an answer."

Gibbs nodded, "And the name of the construction company?"

Ziva checked her notes before responding. "Presley Construction, owned by E. Presley. I have not been able to find out what the E stands for," she admitted.

Tony stood up, holding his own folder of notes and smirked as asked, "Could it be El-"

"DiNozzo," Gibbs warned.

"Mo?" he asked, looking at Gibbs. "Elmo Presley," he repeated. "What did you think I was going to say, boss?" he asked, still smirking.

Ziva frowned at him, "I know that name," she muttered. "Why do I know Elmo?"

"He lives on Sesame Street," Tony offered, barely keeping the smile off his face.

"I do not believe I have ever been to a Sesame Street," she replied.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs warned.

"Our suspect who attacked McGee is Allen Michael Presley," Tony shared. "He happens to have a brother, Elmo Mathew Presley," he added before informing his teammates what else he learned about their suspect.

Ziva nodded, "That could be why he isn't returning my calls if he is at the hospital with his brother."

"You know, boss," Tony said, "Maybe we should go to the hospital and see if he is there," he offered.

Gibbs shook his head, "Not yet, not unless Ducky calls. We need to dig deeper first," he replied, to the disappointment of his team.

* * *

The ninth time Gibb's phone rang it was almost immediately after he had ended the previous call. He glared at it suspiciously, believing it to be caller he had just hung up on before reluctantly picking it up. "Gibbs," he barked as he answered the phone. When no one responded, he spoke again, this time in a more civilized tone, "This is Gibbs."

The moment Gibbs repeated his name, Tony and Ziva knew it wasn't Ducky. He wouldn't let Gibbs bark prevent him from informing them of Tim's wakefulness. Of course, once they found out who it was, they couldn't help but listen, curious about why they would call Gibbs.

"Uh-huh…Okay, Jimmy, but why? ...that's a good idea…of course I don't have a problem with that …you most definitely are…don't listen to scuttlebutt…you should know better…And Jimmy, I'm sorry about that," Gibbs said before hanging up the phone and finding two sets of eyes staring at him.

"You got something to say? About the case?" he added.

"Just waiting to hear back from our friendly neighborhood FBI Agents," Tony replied cheerfully.

"I am still waiting to hear from Elvis Presley,"

Tony snorted, "That might be awhile," he muttered softly, hoping she didn't hear him.

"Of Presley Construction," she finished, glaring at Tony. She didn't know what he said, but was sure it was something inappropriate.

"Elmo," Tony said when Ziva continued glaring at him. "Elmo Presley."

"Oh," she said, checking her notes, "I could have sworn someone said Elvis Presley…Oh, yes, now I remember, you said Elmo lives on Sesame Street. I talked with someone at Presley Construction, and asked about his home address, they said it was 2825 Little John Road in Reston Virginia."

Tony bit his lip and simply nodded, being careful not to look at Gibbs.

"And earlier, when I talked to someone else and asked them what the E in E. Presley stood for, they said 'Elvis, of course'," she concluded triumphantly.

Tony nodded again, "Boss, you want to take this one?" he pleaded.

With a sigh, Gibbs waved Tony away and settled in to enlighten Ziva.

* * *

The tenth time Gibbs's phone rang, Tony and Ziva once more paused as they listened to Gibbs answer it. Realizing that this call wasn't about their injured teammate, they continued working, having no interest in who was on the other end of the line.

After hanging up the phone, Gibbs looked around at his team, proud of them for how dedicated they were today. It was tough keeping focused while a teammate was in the hospital, but so far, they had done an exemplary job. Perhaps if Ducky hasn't called by lunch, the team could take a quick trip over that way.

* * *

The eleventh time Gibbs's phone rang, Tony and Ziva thought for sure this was the one. After all, as Tony had said earlier, everyone else, including _Jimmy_ , had already called Gibbs, who else was left? Never before had they worked so neatly. Notes carefully taken to make reviewing the case and where they left off easier; papers filed in their proper spot in the folders, not strewn about the desk; folders immediately returned to the cabinet when they were done; computer programs closed if it was not currently in use, rather than having it run in the background; their belongings were neatly gathered next to their desks, ready for them to grab and go. As soon as they heard that ring, their fingers hovered over the keys to shut down their computers, ready to press the minute Gibbs gave the word.

"Gibbs…(sigh) told you, not my business…you're the one that did it…nothing I can do and more importantly, nothing I _will_ do…I'm not the one you need to talk to, you know that…then do it, and stop calling me," he ordered before hanging up and looking at the shocked faces of his teammates staring at him. What he wouldn't give for some real coffee, he thought.

Gibbs had always been pretty abrupt on the phone, but to hang up on somebody while they were in mid sentence? And to do it twice in one day?

Tony and Ziva immediately averted their eyes and tried hard to give the appearance of someone caught up in their work. Things were bad enough, no reason to poke the bear, they thought.

* * *

The twelfth time Gibb's phone rang, Tony and Ziva barely stopped what they were doing. It soon became obvious that this call wasn't about Tim. Well, it was about Tim, but someone asking how he was, not Ducky reporting that he had woken.

"Gibbs…No, not yet…Ducky's with him…No, you don't need to do that…What would Tim want…Of course I will…Of course…Definitely…Okay," he said before hanging up.

Taking another look around the bullpen his eyes caught the time. Almost lunch time he realized. If Ducky didn't call in the next half hour, he'll tell the team that they'll all head over to the hospital for lunch…making a brief stop at the coffee shop first. That should rejuvenate their spirits.

* * *

The thirteenth time Gibb's phone rang, Tony and Ziva barely paid it any attention. Neither one of them had realized how many calls Gibbs received in a single day. No wonder he didn't like his mobile phone since it meant that many people could always track him down.

They each paused for a moment before deciding not to jump to the conclusion that this was the call they had been waiting for. After all, it had been hours since they left the hospital without hearing from Ducky, and could be many more before Tim was awake. Separately, the two had come to the conclusion that no news was good news. As long as they didn't get a call that something was wrong with Tim, they could handle the fact that he seemed willing to sleep the day away. And, they tried to reassure themselves, the doctors did say rest was the best medicine.

During his conversation, Gibbs had automatically stood up and sprung into action. It was only when he hung up the phone and turned to face his team that he realized that they hadn't been listening in on that conversation.

"Hey," he called out to them. Two sets of eyes immediately flew to him. "You guys staying here or coming with me to the hospital?"

After blinking away their shock that Ducky had called and they hadn't realized it, the two became a whirlwind of activity as they cleaned desks, shut down computers, and gathered belongings. Within five minutes, they were leaving the building and heading back to the hospital.

* * *

2-24-19

Okay, all I had going through my head was the sesame street pinball counting to 12 song (because Gibbs's phone rang over 12 times and Elmo...)

Some callers were identified, some were not...Any guesses on who they were and what they talked about?


	84. Friday Mar 27 Emotions & BP up (J84)

No Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Friday Mar 27 Emotion & BP on the rise (J84)

* * *

The fourteenth time Gibbs's phone rang that day, no one was around to answer it, as they had all left the building to head to the hospital.

As Tony and Ziva exited the building and began walking towards their cars, Ziva's phone beeped. She sent a quick text in reply before putting it away.

"Guy in tights?"

"No, he's in th-" Ziva started to say before cutting herself off.

"Ah, he's away," Tony supplied. "That explains why you couldn't sleep last night, you were alone," he smirked.

"Tony," she warned, "Stay out of my private life."

Tony's eyes drooped. "Nothing?" he asked. "We can't even talk about him?"

"You have proven that you cannot be trusted with what you do have," she informed him, "Why would I give you more?"

"Oh, come on, it's just harmless questions."

"As harmless as running credit cards and phone logs and tracking GPS's?"

"That wasn't me!" he reminded her.

"Oh, right, _you_ were the one who broke into his partners apartment; who staked out said apartment to spy on him and then conveniently ran into the girl you saw him with," she snapped. "If you were doing that with him, what were you planning on doing with me?"

"I…nothing."

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. "You go through all that to find out who Tim is dating but do not have anything planned to find out who I am seeing," she skeptically commented.

"Is that why you've been so mad at me?" he asked in sudden realization. "Because you thought I had done the same to you?"

Her eyes flashed with anger, "I am mad at you because of what you did, how you treat your coworkers, your lack of respect you seem to show everyone but Gibbs, Ducky, and occasionally the Director."

"And I apologized," Tony said. "Can't we just wipe the slate clean and go on from here?"

"No you did not," Ziva corrected him.

Tony froze at her words. He hadn't apologized? He thought he had, especially after Gibbs had shared that friends were the exception. Taking a deep breath, he hurried to catch up to Ziva and jumped in front of her to prevent her from moving forward. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "You're right, I have been a jerk and disrespectful. A lot of what you've said this week about me is true, and I'm working on it. It might take some time, but I _am_ working on it," he said. Continuing when Ziva remained silent, staring at him. "Will you accept my apology? Can we put this behind us and continue with a clean slate?"

Ziva just looked at him, "You didn't answer my earlier question," she replied. "Did you have something similar planned for me?"

"I…no," he admitted. "Didn't even think about doing anything, honestly," he added.

She frowned, "Why not? Not that I want you to try something, though if you did, it would give me a reason to really hurt you."

"And there's a reason right there," Tony stated dryly. "I've seen what you can do with knives, I really don't want to know about those paper clips."

"So it was just fear of me, of getting physically hurt that prevented it," she shared her thoughts out loud.

"I, well, maybe partly," Tony sheepishly admitted.

"And the rest?"

"I really don't want to say," he admitted.

She glared at him, "I suggest you do."

Tony eyed her warily, "Just don't take it the wrong way, okay?" he pleaded, waiting for her to give a tentative nod before answering.

"As I said, I didn't even thing about it," he slowly repeated. "I guess I thought that even if your relationship with guy-him," Tony corrected himself, "didn't work out, you would be okay. You might be sad for a couple of days, perhaps even a couple of weeks, since things seem to be different with this guy than the other guys you dated," he admitted. "But, still, you would be okay, you would bounce back. I have no doubt that you would fully recover and would continue looking for love, even if it is in all the wrong places," he couldn't resist adding.

"But Tim," Tony paused, then sighed, then gave a shrug. "He's had his heart stomped on a lot these last few years. And every time it happens it takes him longer and longer to recover. Longer for him to meet someone new, longer for him to trust them," Tony shared his observations. "I was worried that if it didn't work out this time he would completely give up on love, worried that she was playing him. That's why I was trying to figure out who she was," he said. "If I could see them together I might get a sense of their relationship, of her, of if she was right for him. Unfortunately, I let my curiosity and insatiable desire for information override my common sense," he admitted. "I should have been real and honest with him, rather than treating it like some kind of game."

"Yes, you should have," she agreed. "Maybe you were a bit concerned about him," she glared at him when he went to argue, "But not enough to actually _talk_ to him about things or to think what would happen if he found out what you and Abby were up to."

He grimaced at being linked with Abby, but couldn't really argue. He knew over a month ago the lengths Abby had gone through to get information about Tim's girlfriend and hadn't said or done anything about it.

She paused, not sure if she really wanted to ask what she was thinking since she wasn't sure if she really wanted the answer. "You said that I _might_ be sad for a few days, what did you mean by that?"

Tony grimaced, this was the part he didn't want her to get upset over. "It's not that I think you are incapable of love, it's just that you seem to always hold part of yourself back. You never give in 100 percent to what you are feeling. Tim, however, dives in 200 percent once he decides to love someone. That was all I meant. Because you might have kept part of your emotions uninvolved, it made it easier to deal with when that feeling or person was no longer there."

"How do you know that I don't give 100 percent? You have not seen us together."

"It's not just about how you are when you're together," Tony tried to explain. "It shows when you talk about the person you are seeing, about things you have done together," he replied. "As I said, things seem to be a bit different with this guy, so maybe you aren't holding back. I already mentioned that it seems like you trust him, _really_ trust him. That could be part of it," he added. "Perhaps you trust him not to break your heart, so you feel safe in giving it to him."

Ziva nodded as she thought about his words, absently beginning to walk once more.

"Um, Ziva," Tony called, "You're cars, that way," he said, pointing in the other direction.

"Right," Ziva replied, changing course. "I will see you at the hospital."

* * *

"Ducky!"

At the sound of his name, the medical examinder turned and found himself surrounded by Tim's team, all of them asking questions at the same time.

"He's awake?"

"How is he?"

"Why are you out here?"

"Yes, Timothy is awake. He woke about a half hour ago and is coherent. He seems to be fine, and seems to remember everything that has happened recently. He is a bit uncomfortable," Ducky added. "After all, he is recovering from two separate wounds, each of which is no little thing, but when added together…" Ducky trailed off. "As for why I am out here, the nurse is in with him now."

Tony frowned, "But you're a doctor, couldn't you have stayed?"

"Just because I could have doesn't mean I should," Ducky replied, before turning to Gibbs. "The doctor has already been in to see him, but I told him that you would want to speak to him as well. I suggest you contact the nurses' station so they can track him down."

Gibbs nodded and inclined his head for Tony to go do that. "Is he able to give his statement?"

Ducky nodded, "One of the reasons why he is uncomfortable," Ducky admitted. "They held off giving him any pain medication this morning until you were here. Another reason for the doctor to stop by," Ducky added. "He will assess Timothy again, if he believes the need for medication is too great, he will administer it now and Timothy's statement will have to wait," the ME warned the team leader.

"Is he in a lot of pain?" Ziva asked, anxious to get into his room and check on him.

"More than I believe I can bear," Ducky admitted. "However, as usual, Timothy insists that he is fine."

Ziva rolled her eyes, unsurprised by that. The minute she saw him, she will demand an honest answer. After all, they promised not to lie to one another, something she would hold him to even if their 'relationship' ended.

"How many times has he asked when or if he can go home?" Gibbs asked. In his opinion, that was a more accurate telling of how someone was feeling than asking them how they felt, especially since the response to that question was usually 'fine'.

"While I was there? Only once, I believe. Of course, I am sure that he has probably asked the nurse again since he's been sequestered with her."

Gibbs smiled, on his scale that showed that Tim didn't want to be here, but knew he couldn't handle things on his own yet. Before they could continue their conversation, the nurse exited Tim's room.

"You can go in now," she informed them. "Please remember to keep it down," she stated, pointedly looking at Ducky. "Even though he is awake, several other patients are still sleeping."

"Yes, of course." Ziva replied, stepping past the nurse and into the room.

Before Ducky could follow, Gibbs got a hold of his arm to prevent him from entering. His reasoning was two fold, there were a few things he wanted to discuss with Ducky and second, he wanted to give Tim and Ziva some time alone together. He was hoping that they would use this opportunity to have a heart to heart talk. Abby was right that being injured definitely gave credence to reviewing your life, hopefully this will help those two recognize and admit their feelings for one another. While Gibbs was aware that a hospital room wasn't the ideal place for a couple to declare their love for one another, he still hoped it would happen, and he knew that once someone else entered the room, it would ruin the possibility of that happening now.

"How did Tim seem?"

"A little groggy, but no doubt that is due to the medication that is probably still in his system."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "Not that, I meant did he seem upset? Does he know that you called us and that we, _all of us_ were going to come down? As of yesterday, he still hadn't done much talking to either of them. Is she going to be okay in there?" he asked, nodding his head towards Tim's room.

"Oh! I really do not know. He was in the room when I called you, but for the life of me I cannot remember if I said who was coming. I just assumed he would know that it would be the entire team. As for Ziva," Ducky paused. "He is still the same Timothy. I do not think he would intentionally hurt her. And I do not believe that either the pain he is feeling, or the meds that are still in his system are enough to make him unaware of what he is saying."

Gibbs nodded, he didn't expect that Tim would purposely be mean to Ziva either, but after what happened, both at the beginning of the week and more specifically yesterday, he couldn't rule it out. People often lose control when they are angry or scared and Tim has had plenty of reasons this week to feel both.

"Are you sure he didn't wake up when Abby appeared?"

"He gave no indication that he was awake, his breathing hadn't changed and his eyes didn't open not even when I returned after I escorted her out," he paused a moment. "Vance informed you about what happened?"

Gibbs nodded. "I am sorry, Ducky. I should have known that she would try something like that. My intent was for you to be here when Tim woke, not for you to run interference with Abby."

Ducky shrugged dismissively. "By the time I had Abby out in the hallway, the nurses had contacted security. That helped in dealing with her. Abby willingly left before they could identify her and ban her from the hospital."

"That could've been nice," Gibbs stated. "The rest of the team does not know this yet, but Abby has been suspended for the day for leaving grounds without prior permission or approval from her direct supervisor."

Ducky simply raised an eyebrow, after all, Abby said Gibbs knew where she was.

"She sent me an email about where she was going," he replied dryly.

"But you hardly ever check your email," Ducky responded in confusion, "She knows that."

"There is also the matter that I am not now, never have been, and never will be her supervisor," Gibbs added.

"Oh, my," Ducky muttered. "Abby you have done it now."

Gibbs inclined his head in acknowledgment of the doctor's words. When Ducky inclined his head towards the door, Gibbs shook his, indicating that they should wait. He could hear soft voices coming from Tim's room, making him hesitant to enter, so he decided to wait and give them more time. "Did Timothy mention anything to you about what he decided to do?"

Ducky shook his head, "No specifics," he admitted. "Just a bit about what he was thinking and feeling, however, I will not share those with you."

Gibbs looked at him, "I wouldn't ask you to. Though I do have to talk with Tim about it," Gibbs shared. "Vance knows about what happened."

Ducky raised an eyebrow, "More than what Tony had told him?"

A nod was the only reply.

"I see," Ducky commented before the two fell silent as they each thought about how different things might be next week.

"Jethro," Ducky warned a few minutes later, breaking the silence between the two friends, his eyes fixed on something down the hallway.

Knowing that it was Tony and that time was up, Gibbs slowly opened the door, making enough noise to give the couple inside a warning that they would no longer be alone.

Tim watched in surprise as first Gibbs, then Ducky, and then Tony entered his room. He had been surprised, but pleased to see Ziva, and when a few minutes had passed and it was just the two of them, he figured that she had been sent to take his statement, but with all of his team entering his hospital room, he wasn't sure what to think. He hoped nothing was wrong. Before he got a chance to ask, Gibbs greeted him.

"Tim," Gibbs greeted, 'How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he automatically replied, adding "Tired," when Gibbs looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"It was a long day yesterday," Gibbs commented.

"Painfully long," Tim muttered. Gibbs and Ducky attempted to hide their grins, while Tony chuckled out loud at his choice of phrasing. Tim groaned as he realized what he said.

"Are you in pain? Shall I get a nurse?" Ziva asked in concern.

Shaking his head as in response to her questions, he told her, "I'm fine, just can't believe I actually said that," he admitted before changing the subject. "How's the guy that attacked me? Do we know who he is yet? Is he our killer?"

"He's going to be fine," Gibbs reassured him. "Don't worry about his identity right now or about the case. We'll update you as soon as we get your statement about what happened yesterday."

"Why are all of you guys here? What happened?" he asked, as he looked around the room. "I mean, it only takes one of you to get my statement. The rest of you should be working on the case."

Tony shrugged, "FBI's doing most of it," he admitted, "They have point." He understood why Gibbs let them have the lead in Tim's case, since otherwise, they probably all wouldn't have been able to come. Still, it was a bit of a pain as he found out earlier today. They couldn't talk to the suspect directly yet, didn't have any of the evidence from yesterday's attack, and anything they wanted to know they had to file a request with the FBI agent in charge of the investigation and wait for him to get back to them. Luckily, the guy was either sympathetic at the condition of their teammate or was intimidated by Gibbs and quickly responded to most of their requests.

"Oh god, why?" Tim asked, trying to sit up.

"Timothy, be carefully," Ducky warned as the poles and wires started to pull away from the machines they were connected to.

Tim just ignored him as he fearfully looked at Gibbs. "Is that why you guys are all here? Please don't tell me he's an undercover agent. Please, no. Oh, god, I shot another agent," he muttered, burying his heads in his hands. "I can't d-"

"No, no, it's okay. He's not an agent," Gibbs tried to reassure his distraught agent once he overcame his shock at Tim's reaction and realized what he was thinking about.

"His blood pressure is climbing," Ducky murmured to Gibbs. "We need him to calm down before it increases enough that the nurses are notified. I have no doubt that all of us will be asked to leave at that point, especially after the incident that occurred earlier.

Gibbs nodded. "Tony, Ziva, go," he ordered, suspecting that Tim wouldn't want Tony to see this and there was no way to keep Ziva in place without giving away their secret.

"Gibb-"

"Go," he repeated, too busy trying to calm Tim down to worry about them. "It's okay, Tim. He's not an agent. I promise you that," he said, repeating the words a few time, while comfortingly rubbing circles on Tim's back. "Tim, listen to my voice, okay? I need you to calm down, can you do that for me?"

Ducky tapped him on the arm and began inhaling and exhaling dramatically. Nodding, Gibbs continued talking to Tim. "Tim, I need you to breathe with me, okay? Inhale…Exhale…Inhale…Exhale…Inhale," he continued a few more times, Tim picking up the rhythm and calming down. "Good, good," he encouraged. "You able to listen?" he gently asked.

Tim nodded.

"Okay, keep breathing, inhale…exhale…yeah, just like that. I promise you, the person you shot is not an agent or a cop. The FBI is involved because they handle any cases regarding attacks on Federal Agents. That's the _only_ reason why they are involved. You did nothing wrong," he added. Gibbs gave Tim a few minutes to take in that information, before asking, "Got it?" When Tim nodded, Gibbs continued, "Good. Now repeat back to me what I just told you."

Tim gave him comical look, as if not sure he heard correctly.

"You heard me," Gibbs stated firmly. "Repeat it back to me. I want to know that you heard it and understand it."

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Tim did as he was asked.

"Good," Gibbs replied with a nod.

"But," Tim began, only to stop himself.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"Why did the FBI take the lead in the case?" Seeing the look on Gibbs's face, Tim hastened to reassure him. "I mean, I get that they have to be involved because I was attacked, but why do they have the lead? You never give up lead even when the director tells you to," he added softly, his voice tinged with worry.

"I handed it over to them so that I could be here, so we could be here," Gibbs informed his agent. "I'm, our team," he corrected "is still involved in the case but with them having lead and doing all the dirty work it gives us the time we need to make sure you are okay."

"I'm fine," Tim repeated.

"Tim, you were shot and stabbed yesterday. You spent over four hours in surgery. You are doing well, and we, all of us are glad to hear that, but I would not say that you are _fine_."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Still, there's no reason why you couldn't have worked the case."

Gibbs met and held his gaze. "I told you before, no more. No more putting the case before people. You are more important. But," he continued when Tim opened his mouth to protest, "We are working the original case. We made sure you wouldn't wake alone," he said, giving a nod towards Ducky, "and worked on the case this morning while you were sleeping. The only way I could get Tony and Ziva to leave earlier today was by promising them that the moment we heard from Ducky that you were awake, we would return."

Tim looked at Gibbs doubtfully at that statement. Tony especially seemed to live for solving tough cases.

Snorting, Gibbs looked at Tim before telling him about Tony's and Ziva's reactions to leaving Tim alone to what Gibbs witnessed every time his phone rang this morning.

Just as he finished, Tim still not sure if he actually believed all of it, a knock sounded on the door.

"Hey," Tony said, poking his head in, "Is everything all right? Can we come back in? I think Ziva's getting ready to repel in from the roof to check on Ti-McGee."

Looking at Tim, who nodded, Gibbs replied, "Yeah, come on in."

Eagerly the two entered the room and headed straight for Tim.

"Okay, Prob-Ti-McGee," Tony said, trying not to roll his eyes as he stumbled over his partner's name. "You ready to give your statement? Cause I cannot wait to tell you what we've found out and what happened to Ziva earlier today."

Tim looked at him before looking at Ziva who just rolled her eyes.

"Anthony, we need to wait for the doctor," Ducky reminded everyone. "He needs to certify that Timothy is of clear mind before we can begin."

Anthony nodded his head impatiently, looking at the door every few seconds.

About five minutes later, the doctor entered and introduced himself.

"How is he doing?" Gibbs asked, listening intently to the doctor's prognosis. "And when do you expect him to be released?"

"If he continues as he has, with no complications or infections setting in, Sunday," he replied optimistically.

"Hey, just in time for the new work week," Tony stated, gleefully.

"He could be released on Sunday," the doctor repeated, "But he will not be cleared for work at that time, not even desk work," he added when Tony opened is mouth. "The first few days he should take it slowly, ease back into things. By the end of the week, possibly even mid-week, we can see about having you go into work for light duties for a couple of hours a day.

"Now, I believe you need a statement from my patient," the doctor inquired, beginning his exam when everyone began nodding their heads, including Tim.

"His blood pressure is a bit high," the doctor stated, "but as long as he remains calms I will allow him to give his statement. I am going to set up some pain medication in his IV. Don't worry," he continued when the team looked alarmed at that. "It is programmed not to be dispensed for another half hour. I just want to make sure that the pain is under control, otherwise, it can make for a longer and harder recovery period." he stated before setting up the IV and heading towards the door. Before he left, he looked at Ducky, "Doctor, I am trusting you to end the proceedings and get a nurse if his blood pressure increases, he has difficulty breathing, any of the symptoms we talked about earlier occurred, or if it the telling of his statement continues for more than thirty minutes," he stated before leaving the agents to their work.

* * *

2-25-19

What if the guy _was_ an undercover agent? Could you imagine Tim's response to that?

Couldn't resist the 14th ringing of the phone...Speaking of Rings and phones: here's the breakdown of callers/conversations:

1 Wrong #  
2 Fornell-asked about Tim; gave Gibbs some info on FBI agents working case  
3 Vance-asked about Tim and requested Gibbs come upstairs  
4 Abby(Ziva answered)  
(4a-Tim's phone...mystery caller)  
5 Vance-called to see if Gibbs wants to talk to Abby about her actions & to tell Tony not to pester Tim about his decision  
6 mystery caller (Ziva did not answer)-same caller who called Tim's phone...  
7 Jimmy (Tony answered)  
8 Abby-talked about going to see Timmy and sending Gibbs an email about it and to come with her to see the director  
9 Jimmy-called to see if it would be okay if he went to hospital & Ducky return to yard if Tim didn't wake soon; he would understand if Gibbs didn't want him there; states that he knows he's not really part of the team, something he felt and that scuttlebutt often confirms  
10 unknown-hmm, use your own imagination  
11 Abby again-found out she's been suspended for the day for leaving work w/o informing her supervisor asks Gibbs to help her  
12 Sarah-called to ask about Tim, hospital said he still wasn't awake, was that true; if he was alone; she had class, but she could miss it if needed; and would Gibbs call her once he heard from Ducky that Tim was awake or if anything else happened  
13 Ducky-Tim's awake, finally!  
14 mystery caller...believe it's the same person from call #6 and Tim's phone  
14a, Ziva's text-from Gibbs asking her to call Sarah and let her know that Tim's awake. (Something Ziva does on the drive to the hospital)


	85. Friday Mar 27 Tim's brain on drugs (J85)

Not Beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies;

* * *

Friday Mar 27 Tim's brain on drugs (J85)

* * *

Tim thought back to yesterday and the time before the attack. He repeated what he had told them yesterday about the emails and about his idea to grab their suspect by surrounding him at his 'meeting'. He then talked about the ride over to the Colosseum and what happened once they were inside. "I remember deciding that the second floor should be cleared first, to prevent anyone from finding out what we were doing and to set up a trap. I, Gibbs and I," he corrected were watching the staircase, main entrance, and the grounds while Tony and Ziva cleared the second floor. After that, Tony kept an eye on the entrance while Ziva and I cleared the alcoves. We decided to separate," he added. "We both checked every alcove. I don't know how I missed him," he admitted. "I guess maybe if we were both looking the other way he might have quickly moved from one Alcove to another, staying away from us," he speculated, forehead and eyes scrunched up as he thought about that. "If he was wearing all black, I would say he blended into the shadows in the alcove, but I didn't just walk by them when I inspected them," he shared. "I physically stepped in and often ran my hand against the wall. I guess he could've been crouched," he mused before shaking his head. "Yeah, I have to admit, I have no idea how I missed him, I'm sorry."

Gibbs halted his retelling, "What makes you so sure that you missed him?"

Tim shrugged, "Well, who else? You had eyes on the entrance, I know you wouldn't have let us down. You would've noticed if he slipped in. Ziva locked the stairwell behind her and Tony after they cleared the second floor. It had to have been the alcoves," he stated. "One looks pretty much like any other, I probably got sloppy and accidentally missed one when I got distracted by-" he broke off, not wanting to continue.

Tony smiled at him, "Thinking about your girlfriend?" he asked.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled.

Tony held his hands up in surrender, "Just asking," he replied.

"Go on McGee," Gibbs prodded. "What happened after you and Ziva cleared the alcoves?

Tim nodded, "We continued to discuss the best place for us to hide, how close to the entrance, the stairwell, each other," he explained. "If we should be directly across from one another or diagonally, things like that," he said before telling them what they decided and why.

"It was actually kind of boring," he admitted. "We couldn't talk since we weren't close to each other and didn't want to make somewhere aware that we were there; all we could do was remain hidden and keep our eyes peeled for someone entering the Colosseum."

Tim frowned, "I didn't hear or see anything," he admitted, "I-" he hesitated. "I don't think I fell asleep, but it's the only thing I can think of," Tim said, frowning as he ran various scenarios through his mind before giving up and retelling what happened from his perspective. He was confident that how their suspect got past him will come out in the investigation.

"All of a sudden I had bullets fired at me. Some of them ricocheting off the cement," he added. "I got hit almost immediately," he admitted. "I knew if I stayed there I'd probably end up dead. Trapped in the Alcove like that, if he fired more shots, I would be a sitting duck. I knew the general direction the bullets came from, so I exited the alcove, my gun raised and aimed in that direction, hoping the element of surprise would be in my favor. Yet no one was there, I saw nothing, not even a shadow in the alcove where I believe the shots initiated from. The closer I got to where the spot where the shots originated from, the more confused I became. As I stepped closer and closer to that area, I really began to doubt my sanity. If it wasn't for the bullet in my shoulder, I really would've thought that I imagined the entire thing. As I pondered what to do, if we should just call everyone in guns blazing, whether I should seek out Ziva, or continue walking towards that area, I was surprised by an attack from behind me. Even though my gun was out, I didn't have a good angle, partly because he was behind me as well as the fact that if I missed, there was a chance I could've hit Ziva," he said, not looking at anyone. "We grappled for a few moments and eventually I was able to flip him. We had also moved enough that no one else should've been in the line of fire. I thought that I finally got the upper hand," he sheepishly admitted. "As I lined up my shot, I felt a burning pain in my right side, knowing I needed to stop this, stop him before he killed Ziva, or anyone else, I pulled the trigger. The rest," he shrugged, "I can't really tell you what happened after. I don't remember anything else except waking up here," he said, spreading out his arms to encompass the hospital room.

Ducky looked at Gibbs and tapped his watch, reminding him about the time limit and that Timothy's medication should be starting soon. Gibbs nodded his understanding and turned to Tim, "Anything else you can think of?"

Tim shook his head, pretty sure he mentioned everything.

"Okay, then, we'll get it typed up and bring it by for you to sign."

"Okay," Tim agreed. "So," he asked, impatient to know what happened, "Did you guys find out how he entered? Was he there the whole time? How did I miss him?"

"We all missed him," Gibbs replied. "And with good reason. It turns out that there were a couple of secret tunnel passageways under the Colosseum."

Tim frowned, at that thought.

"Think of the game clue," Tony suggested, "Underground tunnels from one corner to another."

"Yeah, I get that," Tim replied, rolling his eyes, "it's the secret part that has me baffled. I was trying to remember if there were any notes or references to them on the building blueprints you guys dug up?" he wondered out loud.

Tony shook his head, "Not that we could find," he admitted. "We looked them over again this morning. Got copies from a couple of different sources and none of them made note of those secret tunnels."

Ziva snorted, "So secret the owner of the building didn't know they existed before today and wouldn't believe me until I showed him photographic evidence."

"I…but who built them? Why were they built? Who knows about them, other than the guy that attacked me," Tim added.

"That's something we are still trying to piece together," Gibbs admitted.

"Oh. Okay," Tim replied, looking at the team for a few moments.

"So, now what?" Tim asked as the silence continued. "You guys returning to the yard now?"

Tony and Ziva exchanged looks; they hadn't planned on returning right away, which was why they took their own cars to the hospital. Then again, who knows what Gibbs had in mind? Their eyes sought him out.

"Not yet," Gibbs responded to the unasked question.

"Good," Tony exclaimed, gleefully. "I've got a story about Elmo and Elvis I can't wait to tell you about."

Tim frowned, "It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. If it begins Elmo and Elvis walk into a bar, I think I'll pass." he retorted, causing Gibbs to hide a grin.

"Oh, trust me, Pro-Ti-McGee, you don't want to pass this one up," Tony assured him, before telling Tim and Ducky about Ziva's mix up from earlier. Ziva just glaring at him the entire time. Of course, when Tim gave a quiet chuckle at the end, she found she couldn't remain mad at Tony about it, not that she was really mad in the first placed, just embarrassed. Honestly, how could she miss Elvis Presley, she thought, still shaking her head at her oversight.

"But who is Elmo Presley?" Tim asked.

"That is what I want to know," Ziva added. "Who is he and why was Tony so sure that he lived on Sesame Street?"

Tony grinned at her comment, while Tim turned to Gibbs, "You didn't explain that part of it to her?"

"Didn't think of it," he admitted, "Just talked about the King, Elvis," he clarified, since mentioning Elvis by his nickname had caused even more confusion with Ziva. Which probably explained why he didn't go into Elmo and Sesame Street. Well, he had the perfect remedy for that. "Tony, you're up," he informed his SFA, grinning.

Tony shook his head, as he started his explanation. "Elmo's a character from a children's program," he began.

"Wait," Ziva interrupted him, "I think I know," she said as she tried to remember the various cartoons she's seen. "Ha!" She said triumphantly, believing that she placed the character they were talking about, "Elmo Fudge, the guy who's always hunting rabbits."

Three of the four men in the room smiled at that as they tried to suppress their laughter. The fourth didn't even try, just laughed out loud before he corrected her. "That's El _mer_ _Fudd_ from Bugs Bunny and Warner Brothers, and he's a cartoon character."

"Then what is Elmo if not a cartoon character? You said it was from a children's show. Cartoons are for children."

"Remind me to have you watch Family Guy or Southpark some night," he mentioned dryly. "And a Children's program, is a show that's usually educational and geared for kids. Elmo is a puppet on the show Sesame Street."

Her eyes narrowed, "Where you said Elmo Presley lived."

"I was joking?" he feebly offered. "Sorry, you said you knew the name Elmo, so I figured I would give you a hint. I didn't imagine that after so many years in the US you didn't know about Sesame Street."

"Perhaps it has escaped your notice, but I do not have kids, therefore I do not watch children's educational programs."

"I…right, I'll remember that in the future," Tony promised.

"Okay, so now that everyone knows the difference between Elvis Presley, Elmo, and Elmer Fudd, can we get back to _who_ Elmo Presley is?"

"Ah, he's the owner of Presley Construction and the brother of Allen Presley, the guy who attacked you."

Tim frowned upon hearing that information, "Construction?" he repeated. "He owns a construction company?"

"Yeah," Tony confirmed.

"Was he by chance involved in the construction of the Colosseum?"

The team exchanged looks, before Gibbs responded. "Yeah, he was."

When Tim didn't reply, Ziva filled him in on what she learned about Presley Construction, including how they seemed to estimate job costs at much less than other companies, often securing the jobs because of that and their reputation to finish usually within budget and by the deadline.

Tim nodded, the look on his face letting his team know that he might be onto something.

"What are you thinking, there, Pro-Ti-McGee?" Tony asked

"That I really don't like your new nickname for me," Tim replied instantly.

Everyone in the room exchanged looks before looking at Tim to see if he had anything else to say. Noticing that his gaze was focused on Tony, as if waiting for him to respond, they also turned their attention in that direction.

"Ah, yeah, sorry about that," he said. 'It's just habit to call you Probie, but I know that you don't want me to call you by a nickname , so I try to correct myself by using your first name, but then I remember that you asked me to call you by your last."

Tim snorted, "Wouldn't it just be easier to remember to call me by my last name?" he replied.

"Probably," Tony admitted, "But if I start off with 'Mc' I'm more likely to make it into another nickname and I don't want to do that since you don't want that. I figure it's best to avoid the temptation."

Tim rolled his eyes, "Just pick one of those names and use it," he ordered. "You talk enough as it is, adding three seconds every time you correct how you refer to me is already annoying, but knowing that it extended those conversations?" he asked dryly, shaking his head. "Nobody has enough time that they want to waste it by listening to you stumble over my name."

Ziva had to bite her lip to prevent her from laughing at the expression on Tony's face when Tim finished speaking. They were beginning to see that Tim had claws. Granted, it took a bullet, a knife, and some medication to bring it out, but he wasn't the docile puppy they might have thought he was.

"Uh, okay, then…Tim, what else where you thinking?"

"Thoughts," Tim replied automatically, grinning at his coworkers.

"That's a good thing to think," Tony agreed, "Any specific thoughts regarding Presley construction?"

"Yep," Tim responded immediately popping the p and grinning at them.

"I do believe the medication has kicked in," Ducky murmured, causing Gibbs to raise an eyebrow.

"Either that or he found a new way to torment Tony," Gibbs replied watching the two younger men, a smile gracing his lips.

"Would you like to share those thoughts with us?" he asked, his voice indicating that his patience was wearing thin, especially when Tim just looked at him as if debating whether or not he wanted to do that.

"It's good to share," Tim stated. "If I had cookies, I would share them with all of you," he offered.

"Uh, Thank you," Tony finally replied not knowing what else to say and deciding to play along with Tim. "And yes, it is good to share,"

Tim just stared at him.

"What?" Tony asked, unnerved by those unblinking eyes.

"You're suppose to say that if you had cookies you would share them with me."

"Oh, right, well, of course I would."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have cookies?" Tim half asked, half yelled as he looked at Tony before looking around the room searching for cookies.

"Um, no, no cookies, but maybe we can get you some after lunch. Nutter Butters?"

"Yum! They're my favorite," Tim replied, looking extremely happy and pleased with himself.

"Yes, I know," Tony said, not used to Tim acting this way. "So are you going to tell us what you were just thinking?"

"Lots and lots of thoughts," Tim replied. "Too many for me to talk about now, we will be here till the end of time if I do," he said seriously, before repeating those last few words and giggling, "Time. I do. Some day I want to say the words I do, do you, Ziva?"

"I do," she responded, making Tim start to giggle at that phrase again.

"Ducky," Gibbs asked, not sure what was happening, "Is this a normal reaction to the medication?"

"Unfortunately, yes, it can be," he replied. "However, I will talk to the doctor about possibly decreasing the dosage."

Gibbs nodded, still watching Tim and Tony.

"Be careful there, Ziva, you might find yourself married before you know it," Tony warned, looking at Tim as he debated whether or not to try to get a straight answer out of him. With a shrug, he decided he had nothing to lose by trying again. Nothing to lose, but his patience, Tony corrected himself.

When Tony went to open his mouth again, Gibbs stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm. "McGee, report!" he commanded, "Preston Construction and the tunnels," he added, tying to give his agent some direction.

The change in Tim was instantaneous as he started to answer. And even though his thoughts were a bit jumbled, the team had no trouble deciphering what he meant.

"Unless the tunnels were built _after_ the building was finished, Preston had to, has to," Tim frowned unsure of which he meant before deciding it didn't matter to him, "know about them. Even if he didn't build them, if they were there before they started building, they would've discovered them. And they built the building with entrances to the tunnel, so they have to know," he added, before quietly mumbling something about chickens and eggs.

"Unless they don't," Tim added. "It could be that they were built after their involvement with the building, but then the property owner has to know about them. I don't think tunnels can be built under a building without anyone noticing. Well," Tim continued, "Maybe if they were built by dwarves or goblins," he added with a frown, "I can't remember which one builds the better tunnels. Do any of you know?" he asked, looking at them and waiting for an answer.

"We do not," Ducky admitted. "But I will see what I can find out for you?"

"Thank you, Ducky, you're the best," Tim replied, grinning at him. "The best doctor, the best Ducky, Duck, Ductor," he grinned again. "You remind me of my grandpa. He was the best as well. He wasn't a doctor or a duck, though," he added with a frown, his last word ending in a yawn.

"Okay, Tim, thanks for sharing your thoughts about Preston Construction and the tunnels with us, you gave us a lot to think about," Gibbs said, thinking it was time they let him rest.

"But I have more thoughts," Tim added. "Lots and lots of thoughts about buildings and money. Gotta follow the money," he added. "Does Preston Construction have money? If their quotes are usually for significantly less than their competitors how are they doing that? It can't be that they are paying their workers less, because no one would want to work for them, not to mention how the contractor's reunions would think about that. They can't just be getting their materials at a cheaper rate. For one job, maybe, but all of them? Some one would've tattled on how they got such low prices. They have to recoup the losses somehow.

"And why did they decide to build those tunnels? They don't really lead anywhere, especially since all the entrances and exits, exrances? Entraxits?" Tim questioned, trying to combine both words into one new word "open into the same area. Did they just build that one set of tunnels or do they have other secret rooms around the city?" If they were able to successfully hide it and it had a purpose, wouldn't they try it again?" he added, giving another yawn.

"I'm tired," Tim suddenly announced. "Are you done picking my brain now? It wants to sleep. So does the rest of me," he added, stifling another yawn.

"Yes, Timothy," Ducky responded before anyone else could say a word, "You go ahead and sleep now."

"Okay, night-night," Tim said, yawning again as he closed his eyes.

Tony snorted, "They really gave him the good stuff," he said, looking at Tim who appeared to already be asleep.

Gibbs looked at his team, "You able to follow that?" he asked, both of them nodded.

"Though I have to wonder if Pr-Tim is spending too much time with Ziva," Tony commented.

Ziva's head whipped around at those words as she stared at him, "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged, "Just some of the things he said. Reunions instead of unions," he gave as an example.

Ziva just shook her head at him. "Tim had a point about other sites," she added. "By the way, what did you find down in those tunnels?" she asked Gibbs.

"Some evidence of drugs," he admitted, "but it wasn't used as a storage center."

Ziva nodded, "And finding out what it was used for is our job."

"So, bottom line," Tony summed up, "Either Preston Construction, the owner, or both should know about the tunnels. Either they were there before Preston built the building, in which case they should have reported it to the owner; Preston built them when they built the original building, for some reason keeping it a secret; or the owner had them built after Preston's involvement. My money's on the construction company," he shared.

Gibbs watched as Tony and Ziva talked about what Tim had shared and how they would look into it. He knew that he should probably send them back to the yard to work on it, but watching them, having all three members of his team in the same room, was something he wanted to keep.

* * *

Tim had been sleeping for almost and hour and the team was talking about getting some food when Sarah arrived. Noticing the state her brother was in, she quietly sat next to Ziva and talked while Tony, Gibbs, and Ducky went to get some food and drinks at a nearby shop.

"How is he really doing?" She asked Ziva once the men had left.

"Good," Ziva admitted. "A bit out of it due to the medication he is on," she began.

Sarah snorted, "If it's anything like when he was in his car accident, I would say _very_ out of it. He would talk about the strangest things. And so random," she said, shaking her head. "His mind seems to go 500 miles an hour anyway, but when he's on major medication like that, it seems like 10,000. It's kind of sad, even on drugs, he can outthink me," she said. "Of course, it was challenging to get him to stay on one topic, so he couldn't out debate me," she grinned. "He was easily distracted. It was only when Dad was there, commanding him to report that he made any sense."

"Oh," Ziva replied, remembering how Gibbs had done the same thing earlier. "Yes, well, it was tough following at times, but also entertaining for how it got under Tony's nerves," she admitted.

"I can imagine. It's about time Tim gave some grief back to Tony," Sarah replied gleefully. "How are the two of you doing?"

"Fine," Ziva replied, not meeting her gaze.

Sarah snorted, "Please, he told me on Tuesday a bit about what had happened."

"I did not mean to let my temper and my mouth get away from me," Ziva rushed to explain. "I had planned on telling him what I had learned later that night, away from the yard."

"Hey, it's okay, I wasn't accusing you of anything, nor has Tim," she added, seeing the worried look on her companion's face.

"Then why has he not talked to me? Even if it is just to say he is mad or upset. That would be better than the silence."

"You know my brother," Sarah replied with a shrug, "As I said, his mind is always going, thinking too many things at once, and often having those thoughts contradict each other. He needs time to sort that out first before he actually deals with his thoughts…and don't even get me started on feelings," she said rolling her eyes.

"I am just glad that he is okay," Ziva finally responded, looking at Tim.

"Which brings me back to my original question about how he is doing," Sarah reminded the other girl. "Is he really going to be okay? I mean, are we talking full recovery? Will he still be able to be an agent?"

"The doctors are saying full recovery. He might be released as early as Sunday and could possibly be back at work for a few hours by the end of the week."

"Wow," Sarah replied, leaning back in shock. "With a gun shout wound and the stabbing, I expected him to be in here much longer. I was already trying to rearrange rides for next week," she admitted.

"You know, you could have mentioned to me that you needed a ride, I would have gotten you."

"And tear you away from my brother's side?" she teased. "Besides I had a ride today, a friend gave me a left. It's the only reason I wasn't here earlier and why I didn't leave the class I was in when I got your call. My friend still had classes as well. Now, enough about me, let's talk about you or Tim or you _and_ Tim," Sarah commented gleefully.

Ziva shook her head before saying there wasn't much to talk about with her and Tim.

"Really?" she said doubtfully. "He told me that you guys agreed to see each other for two months to see if anything was there before disclosing that information to the rest of the team, and I believe that time is almost up. Are you going to tell your team and meet our parents or are you guys gonna decide to just stay friends?" she asked.

Ziva looked at between the bed where Tim laid sleeping and the door where her coworkers could walk through any minute now and hesitated.

"Come on," Sarah prodded, "Just tell me what's going on, then I'll tell you all about what Tim was like when I was growing up," she promised.

With a sigh, she softly whispered, "I honestly do not know. As I said, we have not talked most of this week. I think we need to discuss where we are regarding that before we decide anything else."

Sarah looked at her a moment before giving a shrug, "I think you are making this more complicated than it needs to be, but hey, you're the one that has to live with it, so c'est la vie," she added before sharing stories of Tim from when they was younger.

It wasn't long before Gibbs and company returned and passed out the food and drinks they had gotten.

"Look," Tony said, holding up several small packages of cookies, "Got them for Tim and everyone to share," he said, grinning at them. While they waited for their order to be prepared, Tony had gone on a scavenger hunt at the local convenient stores.

"Tim loves cookies," Sarah agreed, "Especially Nutter Butters. According to mom, when he was little he wanted to grow up and be cookie monster from Sesame Street," she added, "me, I was always partial to Elmo," she concluded, looking puzzled when they all started to grin or break into laughter. Sarah just stared at them for a few minutes, "Okay, I'm definitely missing something, here."

* * *

Perhaps it was the laughter that had Tim stirring. When he first woke back up and slowly become aware of his surroundings, he was surprised to see that all of the team was still there, he had really expected them to return to work. If his memory was right, than today was still Friday and a working day for them. However, before he could say anything about that, he spotted someone new in the room.

"Sarah? Shouldn't you be in class?" he asked, as he tried to sit up, Ducky and Tony quickly helping.

"Why, hello to you too," Sarah replied. "Yes, I am well, thank you for asking. You?" she asked.

"Sarah,"

She rolled her eyes at him, "I'll get the notes and any assignments from someone," she promised, not worried about it.

"Sarah," he repeated.

"What? You were finally awake," she replied. "I wanted to check that you were okay."

"And you came and I was sleeping again," he pointed out. "You could have waited until after your classes," he said, the team smirking at the interaction between the brother and sister.

"Geesh, Tim, it's fine. I rarely miss class. I'm sure my professors will understand and I will make up the work."

"Professor _s_ ," he repeated, emphasizing the plural.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Just my afternoon classes; now answer my question, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Tim responded in unison with the other four people in the room.

She couldn't help but laugh at that, "Well, they definitely know you pretty well," she said as Tim blushed and looked around the room for something to distract them.

"Oohhh! Nutter Butters," he said as he saw the packages of cookies beside his teammate. "Tony," he began.

"Only if you promise to share," Tony teased.

"Uh, yeah, of course, but I didn't think you liked these," Tim commented, after all, he had never seen Tony eat them before.

Tony just shook his head before opening the package and passing it to Tim.

"We should probably head back to work," Gibbs announced.

"What? But he just woke up, again," Ziva and Tony both protested.

"I am sure Sarah would like to visit with him and he will probably be sleeping again soon," Gibbs replied. "Sarah is not missing her classes to talk and spend time with us," he added.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Thanks for reminding him, Gibbs."

Gibbs just smirked as he stepped out of the room with Ducky.

"Well, guess this is goodbye for now, Tim," Tony said as laid a couple more packages of cookies within Tim's reach. "Got to put that nose to the grindstone," he added.

Tim tilted his head looked at him as if imagining that happening. "Think that will make you less nosy?" he asked as he rubbed his own nose.

Tony's mouth opened and closed a few times since he did not know how to respond. Looking at Sarah didn't help since she was just grinning and looking at him as if waiting for an answer. Ziva didn't help either, since she only lifted an eyebrow as if to ask, 'well, do you think it would?' He also had a feeling that if he answered yes, she would more than willingly hold his nose to a grindstone. Absently, he rubbed his own nose, causing Sarah to chuckle. Turning towards the door, he decided to ignore Tim's question. "You coming, Ziva," he asked, standing by the door and waiting for her.

"Oh, yes," she said, looking at Tim and saying her goodbyes. She had hoped to be able to talk with Tim, something Sarah had encouraged her to do while they were talking earlier, yet she did not want to do it with an audience, especially Tony.

* * *

Ziva and Tony quietly returned to the bullpen and got to work. Gibbs had informed them that he would be back later, refusing to answer any of their questions, just telling them that they needed to get back to the bullpen and get to work. Reluctantly, the two did so.

If asked, Ziva would admit that although she was physically present, mentally and emotionally she was elsewhere. All she could think about was what happened earlier. Sneaking a look at Tony, she realized that he also seemed distracted. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was.

"What are you thinking about?" She suddenly asked.

Tony looked at her sadly, "Tim," he admitted.

"And that makes you sad?" Ziva asked curiously.

"He had a panic attack that the guy he shot was an undercover FBI Agent all because _we_ , _his team_ , showed up at the hospital after he finally woke up after being shot and stabbed, and in surgery for four hours yesterday," Tony growled. "He couldn't fathom why we were there and not working on the case. He didn't expect us to be there, didn't expect that we would care. Yeah, that makes me sad," he confessed as he pushed back his chair and stood up. "It also makes me mad," he muttered as he started to walk away, "at myself."

* * *

2-28-19

So, anyone know any good Elmo & Elvis jokes?


	86. Friday March 27, Hearing Test (J86)

Not beta'd; Standard Disclaimer applies;

* * *

Friday March 27, Hearing Test (J86)

* * *

The bullpen seemed even quieter now than it had earlier this week, Ziva realized. She wondered if that was due to the lack of people, or the fact that they were so focused on what had happened that they were tuning out everything else. She didn't know what to say to Tony, especially since she wasn't sure if she was suppose to hear his muttered parting comment. All she knew was that she had something else that was bothering her, something that kept stealing her attention away from the case.

Silently the two continued to work, each hoping that the other was having better luck them then at finding answers. About an hour later, Gibbs finally returned.

As soon as he entered the bullpen he was cornered by Ziva, Tony curiously watching them as he wondered what the Israeli was all fired up about.

"What earlier incident?" she demanded to know. She had wondered what they were hiding the moment Ducky had uttered those words. "What happened to Tim?"

"Nothing happened to Tim," he reassured her.

"But something _did_ happen," Tony injected, noting Gibbs's choice of words.

Gibbs inclined his head slightly before briefly explaining that Abby had gone to the hospital to visit Tim. While he did not tell them all of the details, just that she was upset and was asked to leave, that seemed to be enough to prod Ziva into action.

Eyes narrowed, as she imagined what Abby had said and done, she quietly swore in Hebrew under her breath before hightailing it to the stairs.

"Whoa, hold on a minute there, Ziva," Gibbs said, as he held her arm to keep her from storming the lab.

"No," she snapped. "I have been holding on and holding back with her for quite a while now, no more," she said, her gaze drifting between his hand on her arm and his face.

Tony lifted an eyebrow as he remembered Ziva's reaction to Abby earlier when she called Gibbs's phone, that was holding back?

"She's not here," he informed his team.

"If she is at the hospital again and you did no-"

"Jimmy is at the hospital," Gibbs relayed. "He has orders to contact hospital security and the Director if she shows up."

Zia paused as she processed his response. She was missing something, she just didn't know what. Judging to the look on Tony's face, he had figured it out.

"Very well," she said, deciding to let the topic drop until she could corner Tony.

"Boss," Tony injected before anyone else could speak, "We're not leaving him alone tonight, are we? We probably shouldn't leave him alone at all," he added, staring at the team leader.

"You gonna give up what little free time you might have this weekend to do this?"

"For Tim, yeah," Tony immediately replied. "It's not much, but it's a start to show that I do care, that I have his back," Tony informed their team leader. "He doesn't need to deal with Abby while he's recovering. Hell, he doesn't even need to deal with me," Tony replied. "I promise that I won't start any conversations about what happened. I'll even sit in the hallway just guarding the door to make sure Abby doesn't come near him, if that is what he wants" Tony offered.

"He's been a better friend than I deserve, especially since he doesn't even consider us friends. He needs someone right now, even if he doesn't know it or doesn't want to admit it. I can be that someone," he promised.

"Don't let me down," Gibbs replied, meeting his eyes before telling him to work out a schedule and informing him of who should be included on that schedule.

* * *

"Really?" Ziva asked as she looked at the schedule she just received regarding guard duty on Tim. She wasn't listed until tomorrow evening. "Who has first shift? You?" She asked, glaring at Tony.

"No, me," Gibbs answered before Tony had a chance to say anything. "You got a problem with that?"

"No, of course not," she replied, "Just wondering."

Hm-hum," he noncommittally replied, smirking at her as she returned to work.

* * *

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Okay," Tim replied watching as Gibbs came and sat down next to him. "What's up?" He curiously asked, "Questions about my statement?"

"No," Gibbs replied, realizing that he forgot to bring said paper for Tim to sign. Hoping to catch Tony before he left the yard, Gibbs made a quick call asking the agent to bring it with him.

"So I'm guessing you're not here so I can sign that statement?" Tim drawled his voice filled with amusement as Gibbs hung up the phone.

"Nope. Just here to visit and talk."

Tim nodded, "About the case."

"No, about you," Gibbs contradicted the injured man.

"Me?" Tim repeated. "I'm fine."

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"It's been a long week," Tim said.

"Painfully long," Gibbs replied with a smirk, causing Tim to roll his eyes and snort.

"Definitely painful," he agreed, as his left hand absently traced the wound on his shoulder and right side. And definitely long, he thought. Monday seemed like it was months ago, not just four days. As he remembered all that had happened this week, a sudden thought came to him, "Did you meet with Toothpick?" he asked.

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow.

Tim frowned, "You know, head honcho, bigger cheese than you, always has a toothpick in his mouth. Toothpick," Tim concluded as if it was obvious.

"You mean Leon Vance? The Director?" Gibbs asked once he felt he could do so with a straight face.

"Yeah, Lean Toothpick," Tim replied, nodding emphatically, as he added a first name. "I had it in my head that you were meeting with him about me. Don't know if that's a good thing or not," Tim admitted, "I don't think the director likes me," he whispered confidingly.

"Oh?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah. He hasn't since Iraq."

Gibbs looked at him inquiringly, wondering what he meant by that. He vaguely remembered Tim mentioning something to Tony about Iraq on Monday. The two must be connected, but how? Gibbs wondered.

"Don't worry, it's okay," he tried to reassure the older man., as he reached out and patted Gibbs on the arm. "I'm used to not being liked, especially by Directors. She-ra didn't like me, but that's okay, because I didn't like her a lot of the time," he sheepishly admitted. "How she treated Tony when you left," Tim stated, shaking his head. "She-ra almost got him killed, for a personal grudge, putting him undercover without any back-up. Then there's what she did to him and Ziva in California. She probably knew it was going to end the way it did and she left them to live with the guilt of not being there to help, to possibly save her. And she _liked_ them," he said with a laugh. "Maybe it's a good thing that she didn't like me," he shared this thought out loud. "The guy before her, Yesterday," Tim paused and shook his head. "Well, didn't really know him, barely saw him. For a director, he really wasn't that involved with the people he was supposed to direct," he shared.

Gibbs couldn't get Tim's earlier comment out of his mind. "What do you mean Iraq?" he asked when Tim paused.

"You know," Tim replied, "That case last year about the Marine Captain killed in a mortar attack, but by snipe. Their were rumors about the mission for Iraq, Tony told me that if I really wanted to go, and I did, not to volunteer, he said that he wasn't either. Vance talked to me in front of the entire bullpen about being disappointed that I did not apply, that I was the _only_ one that didn't. That was when I began to think that I couldn't trust anything Tony said or did," Tim admitted before talking about a few other instances regarding his distrust and the team.

Gibbs had arrived hoping to talk to Tim about everything that had happened this week and about scheduling a meeting with Toothpick, er, the director as soon as Tim was well enough to come into the office for a few hours. Instead, he sat there in stunned silence as Tim talked, giving his perspective on everything that had happened the last five years.

* * *

"Hey, Boss," Tony greeted quietly as he entered Tim's hospital room since he was not sure if Tim was awake or asleep. Walking closer, he took Tim's typed up statement out and handed it to Gibbs, placing his bags on the floor next to his chair. He also took that opportunity to glance at the bed to find a sleeping Tim.

Gibbs's hand reached out, but instead of taking the statement, he gave the back of Tony's head a slap.

"Ow!" he cried out, rubbing his head, "What was that for?"

"Iraq."

Tony frowned, "What happened in Ir…oh," he said as his gaze landed on Tim's sleeping form.

"Yeah, oh," Gibbs mocked. "Tim gets quite talkative on the medication," he informed his agent. "Had a lot to say about you and Iraq, me, the team, the Directors, and a _lot_ about Abby."

"Oh," Tony repeated, wondering how Gibbs handled being told the things he could only imagine Abby had done. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Gibbs wearily admitted. It was tough hearing about such things, mostly because of how blind he had been to the actions of others. It was even more painful when Tim talked about Gibbs's own actions. He thought he had learned about most of it a month ago, turns out, that hadn't even scratched the surface.

Seeing the look on his boss's face had Tony second guessing his idea of being here. "Maybe I should stay in the hallway," Tony muttered as he started to take the seat next to Gibbs.

"Yeah, maybe you should," Gibbs growled, as he stood and prevented Tony from sitting and led the man back to the hall.

"Boss?"

Once they were on the other side of the door to Tim's room, Gibbs just looked at him. "I'm not happy with myself and with what has happened with my team. Unfortunately, I am not just referring to the events from the last few months, but we are talking _years,_ " Gibbs admitted. "I…being so blind, that was on me," he admitted, "But how you and Abby took advantage of it, and Tim," he shook his head again, "that's on you. DiNozzo, you are my senior field agent, the most senior agent on the team, you have a duty not just to your teammates, but to me and to NCIS. A good SFA would have called me out on my behavior, on the behavior of others. He would have told me what Abby was up to when he learned about how she invaded one of his teammate's privacy."

Tony hung his head down.

"I don't know what's going to happen, what Vance decides, but I will tell you this: No More." Gibbs informed him firmly. "You thought I had high standards before, you haven't seen anything yet," he warned him. "Rule 6, if it applies to team members is out the window. You should try not to do anything that you might need to apologize for, but if you do, you _will_ apologize and mean it. You will show respect and care for your teammates. We will have each other's six on and off the field."

Tony nodded in agreement, "Got it boss."

"Good," Gibbs nodded in return as he headed back into Tim's room where his agent was still asleep. Tony following him into the room and taking a seat next to him.

After a few minutes, Tony nodded towards the still form on the bed, "Anything I should know about?"

Gibbs hesitated, "He's sleeping a lot, but when he's awake, he's talkative, very talkative," he admitted. "It seems that there is no filter on him and he says what is on his mind, answers any question asked. I _strongly suggest_ you don't ask him any questions, especially those you aren't sure if you want the answer to," Gibbs replied dryly.

"Got it," Tony replied before the two went silent.

* * *

"You my babysitter tonight?" Tim asked when his eyes rested on Tony. He had woken a few moments before and the first thing he did was scan the room to see who, if anyone was with him.

"I prefer to think of it as being your entertainment," Tony replied, pointing to a portable DVD player and some movies that he set up on the rolling table.

"Good," Tim muttered, closing his eyes, "I could use the sleep."

Tony hesitated, "I can call Ducky or Gibbs if you want, or I can just go into the hall."

"Why do I even _need_ a babysitter?"

"Who said anything about a babysitter?" Tony asked, trying to play it cool and forgetting Gibbs's suggestion not to ask Tim questions.

Tim just gave him a scathing look, "Despite what you think, I'm not an idiot or a probie anymore. You guys haven't left me alone since I woke up. I might be able to understand Ducky being here in the morning before I woke up, but Jimmy this afternoon? Gibbs after that? He didn't even have an excuse since he forgot to bring my statement for me to sigh," Tim added shaking his head. "Every time I woke up, he was still there, just sitting in that chair, then when he was finally gone, _you_ were there. So you gonna tell me what's going on or continue treating me like an imbecile?"

"I'm here so you can get that rest you need, get better, and get released."

Tim snorted, "You're probably just sick of doing all the computer work for the team," he muttered. "Seriously, I don't need someone to sing me a lullaby or tell me a story for me to sleep, especially with the medication they're giving me."

"That's good, cuz you don't want to hear me sing," Tony replied with a grin.

"And apparently idiot and imbecile win," Tim muttered as he leaned back against the pillows and shut his eyes deciding he might as well try to get back to sleep.

"We're still trying to contact Presley, Alan," Tony admitted as he clarified which Presley he meant. "He hasn't returned any of our phone calls. Since his brother is here, there's a good chance he is as well. We just figure that it's best not to leave you alone just in case he discovers you are here. We don't know what he knows about the situation yet."

"What situation?" Tim retorted, "I shot his brother."

"After his brother shot you, physically attacked you, and then stabbed you," Tony argued.

Tim rolled his eyes. "You can stay," he finally said.

"Thanks," Tony replied as he pulled up a chair. "Um, do you need anything?

"Just to go home," Tim muttered.

"Well, if you think of anything you need, just let me know."

"Uh-huh," Tim replied before closing his eyes and hoping to get some rest.

* * *

Tim had been awake for a while now; he just hadn't felt like talking. Unfortunately, he hadn't fallen back asleep like he hoped and the quiet seemed eerily out of place when Tony was in the room.

He always thought it would be nice, surprisingly he found it unnerving.

"I had a dream the other night," Tim suddenly said breaking the silence and causing Tony's head to whip around to him, "you were there," he continued.

"Dreaming about me, Pro-Tim?"

Tim rolled his eyes, whether it was from the comment or the struggle over his name, Tony wasn't sure and decided not to ask.

"You were the one who said you were the entertainment for tonight," a droll Tim commented.

Tony's mouth dropped in shock. "You didn't…it wasn't-"

"God, no," Tim replied between laughter.

"Oh, good." A relieved Tony stated. "Um, Not that there's anything wrong wit-"

"Tony, I'm not gay," Tim interrupted, stopping his coworker before he could say more.

"I know," the SFA replied softly. "Just didn't want you to think I'm a prejudiced jerk in addition to being a bully."

Tim stared at him, not sure what to say. He didn't disagree that he often thought of the older man as a bully and a jerk. He decided to just continue with his original train of thought. "So in my dream-"

"If you dreamt that I was gay,"

Tim snorted and rolled his eyes, "I could careless what you do in the bedroom," he admitted, "Or anywhere else," he added quickly before Tony could mention the kitchen, bathroom, his car or any other location, including the office Tim thought with a shudder.

"It was weird," Tim began. "Well, not really, you acted almost like typical Tony, talking and talking and talking, never shutting up," Tim admitted. "It was just what you were talking _about_ that was weird."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You talked about me being right and how you should have listened to me; admitted that you sounded like a jerk; talked about Kate's sister; about being a closest friend; Gibbs's rules; about me being hurt was a sign of everything being okay; Abby and who was worse to me; about-"

"You _heard_ all that?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Of course I heard it, it was my dream," Tim replied giving a Tony a look that clearly called him an idiot. "I told you it was weird."

Tony shook his head, "It wasn't weird because it wasn't a dream," he informed the younger man.

Tim shrugged, "Dream, hallucination, whatever," Tim said dismissively. "And it was weird. I mean, you would never talk about any of those topics in real life. I would have to be dead before you admitted that I was right about something and we barely mention Kate, let alone her sister; and I can see you and Abby comparing how each of you treat me with each other, but there's no way you would talk to _me_ about that," Tim added.

"I did," Tony admitted his tone serious. "I figured the more I said it, the easier it would be to say it again, so I took the opportunity to practice while you were unconscious."

Tim just stared at the other man, sure that this was a dream or a hallucination as well.

"I meant everything I said that night. I am sorry for everything I've done to you, and not just recently. I know it might be too little, too late, but I wanted you to know th-what are you doing?" Tony asked, cutting off what he was saying as he saw Tim start to fiddle around with the wires attached to him.

"Trying to call the nurse," Tim muttered, as he continued looking for that button.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you okay?" A panicked Tony asked as he jumped out of his seat to help his teammate.

"No," Tim replied. "Either I'm dying and no one told me the truth about my injuries or the meds I'm on are way to strong because not only am I having the same dream or hallucination from the other night, but now I'm an active participant in it."

When Tim first responded to his question in the negative, Tony had rushed towards the door ready to shout for a nurse, screw the stupid call button. But when Tim explained why he didn't think he was okay, Tony slowly allowed himself to relax and calm down as he re-approached the bed.

"You're meds are fine," Tony tried to reassure him. "Yes, they make you a little loopy and you don't seem able to censor yourself and speak whatever you think, but they're good. Ducky checked on them," he added. "And this is real. I meant it the other night and I mean it now."

"Rule 6," Tim began.

"Apparently there was an exception that it doesn't count between friends," Tony replied, deciding not to explain Gibbs's newly created exception of teammates. "And yes, we might not be friends, you might not consider me your friend, but I count you as one of my closes friends and I hope that someday you can say the same, so I'm going to apologize because I know what I did was wrong and you deserve to know that I know that. My actions were pretty much unforgivable as it was," Tony admitted, "But hiding behind a stupid rule and ignoring how it has affected our relationship? That would be worse."

"I…" Tim hesitated.

"You don't have to say anything," Tony stated when Tim stuttered and stared at him. "You don't have to accept my apology, you don't have to decide to give me another chance, and you are still free to choose how you want to proceed with what happened earlier this week," he added. "All I ask is that you hear me out, okay?"

Tim nodded.

Tony nodded in reply before carding a hand through his hair, "This was much easier while you were sleeping," he muttered, as he tried to think where to begin. When he did it the other night, he just talked, not worried about how it came out since he figured Tim couldn't really hear him anyway.

"You don't have to say it again," Tim said softly. "I already heard it, it's okay."

"No," Tony replied, shaking his head. "You thought it was a dream, that's not good enough. I'm just trying to find where to begin, my thoughts the other night were kind of all over the place."

Tim snorted, "At least I have the excuse of medications after being shot and stabbed, you just have the excuse of you being you."

"Hey," Tony mockingly protested, receiving a grin in reply.

"I know where you can start," Tim suggested. "About Kate's sister, I take it you really did talk about her? You seriously called her for a referral? That wasn't a dream?"

"I did, yes, and yes," Tony replied. "And nothing has happened to make me think it wasn't a good idea," he admitted. "I mean, when Ziva refers to you as a yodeling yo-yo, what else can you do, right?"

Tim stared at him, "A yodeling yo-yo? Please tell me that was the meds and you didn't really say that. That Ziva didn't say that," he begged.

"I did, Ziva didn't," he replied before explaining Ziva's confusion of a yodel and a yo-yo. "But that is part of why I need to see someone," Tony admitted. "I find it really challenging not to joke around when conversations get serious."

Tony then talked for over an hour repeating everything he had said that night and repeatedly apologizing for all of it.

* * *

"Tim, why aren't you sleeping?" Tony asked. He was wondering if Tim was thinking about all that he had shared a few hours ago. After he had finished, Tim hadn't said much on that topic. Eventually Tony gave in to the quiet and put in a movie, figuring that Tim would soon fall asleep. That were now midway through the second movie and Tim was still very much awake.

Tim shrugged, "Too much on my mind."

Tony nodded, just as he thought, Tim was probably worrying about everything that had happened, what Tony had said, and what Tim should do now. He wanted to tell Tim that whatever he chose to do, Tony would understand, that he wouldn't blame Tim for anything that happened. It was Tim's decision to make. However, he also remembered Gibbs's warning about letting Tim bring up the subject. Cautiously, Tony asked, "I know I might regret this," he began, with Tim's lack of filter, it is quite possible he could lay into Tony about all that he had done, but Tony knew he would take it, that he deserved it, so he continued, "but, what's going on up there?"

The prone man remained silent, not answering. With a slight nod of the head, Tony also went silent, knowing not to push him.

It was about five minutes later before that silence was broken.

"I think I'm in love," Tim whispered to Tony confidentially.

"Uh-huh," Tony replied.

"No, really,"

"You've thought you were in love before," Tony commented.

Tim frowned, "Nah. I wanted to be in love, I was in like, hoped I was in love; was in love with the idea of being in love, but actually in love? I don't think so," Tim argued. "Especially considering what I know now, what I feel now."

"I see," Tony said, trying to keep his promise not to ask questions or pry information from the injured man. "Um, why don't you think about that to yourself."

Tim glared at him, "I knew it! You don't really care about me. You just want me back at work so you can get back into the field. Well, fine, you can just watch your stupid movies," he added, pouting and turning away from Tony.

Tony closed his eyes, knowing he was on dangerous ground here. "I do care, I just don't want you to share something that you don't want to or won't remember."

"Apparently I remember things said to me while unconscious, I think I'll remember this," Tim drawled.

"That could be even worse," Tony admitted. "The medications you are on seem to be acting like a truth serum,"

"Veritiserum," Tim injected turning back to face Tony as he explained, "It's a powerful truth serum, The potion effectively forces the drinker to truthfully answer any questions put to them."

"Yeah, that," Tony agreed, continuing when Tim glared at him again, "And no, we didn't give you any of that, it just appears to be a side effect from the pain meds you are on," he explained, easing Tim's suspicious glare. "Anyway, I don't want you to talk about something you didn't want to, but had no control to stop. You've tried to keep her identity a secret, I would hate for it to come out now. I invaded your privacy enough," he admitted.

Tim nodded before asking, "Have you ever been in love?"

"Yeah," Tony reluctantly admitted, not sure where Tim was going with this subject.

"Really, really in love? Like she was your Shannon?"

Tony paused as he briefly wondered if Tim had mentioned Shannon to Gibbs. "I thought she was, but she didn't feel the same," he admitted. "Cancelled the wedding."

"There was a wedding!?" Tim asked in shock, "You're married?"

"No," Tony repeated slowly "It was cancelled."

"Oh," Tim replied, a thoughtful look on his face. "So no cake?"

Tony had to smile at that question, "No, no cake."

"That is so sad," Tim commiserated. "I like cake. Not as much as cookies," he admitted before immediately looking around the room.

Tony smiled as he dug into his bag, suspecting what his partner was looking for, "Here," he said holding out a package of Nutter Butters.

"Thanks," Tim cheerfully replied as he reached for the cookies. "You're the best. I'm glad you're here," he added, grinning at Tony before biting into one of the cookies and holding the package out for Tony to take one.

Meeting Tim's eyes, Tony absently took one of the cookies. He didn't expect that action or those words to mean so much to him, Tony thought as he absently chewed on the cookie.

* * *

2-6-19

Sorry for the wait...hope you all are well.

Hope you enjoy it, would love to hear from you guys.


	87. Saturday, Mar 28, The Dark Side (J87)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Saturday, Mar 28, The Dark Side (J87)

* * *

Tim woke up and looked around to see who was watching him now.

"Tony?" he said in surprise, blinking his eyes. "You're still here? What time is it?"

"A bit past seven," Tony replied. "Ducky is on his way. Apparently traffic is really bad, especially for a Saturday."

"You heading into work today?"

"Yeah,"

Tim nodded, "You can leave now, I'm sure I'll be fine on my own."

"And have Gibbs kill me because I left you alone? I don't think so," Tony stated continuing when Tim opened his mouth. "Rule 1 and 15," he said, "I have your back, on and off the field," he added.

Tim rolled his eyes but nodded, knowing Tony wasn't going to give in. "Hey, Tony, who else was here?"

Tony frowned as he looked at Tim, wondering if he was having memory problems. "Pretty much everyone," Tony finally replied, "Me, Gibbs, Ducky, Ziva, Jimmy, Balboa and his team, a few other agents from NCIS, Sarah," he listed the names watching Tim for his reaction.

Tim nodded, "Sarah…did she miss classes or was that a dream?"

"Er, I think I'll let you ask her that," Tony replied with a smirk.

"And that would be a yes," Tim responded dryly.

Tony grinned, "Hey, at least she was missing class for a good reason,"

"What? To watch me sleep?"

"Because you were injured and in the hospital and not because she went to a party or a concert or was too hungover to go to class."

"True," Tim agreed. "As long as it wasn't her math class that she missed. With these meds I doubt I'll be able to help her."

"Ah. In the one," he said holding up one finger on his left hand, "And one," right hand with one finger, "Is eleven," he brought his two hands together so the fingers were next to each other, "mindset, are we?"

Tim snickered, "If she needs help with one and one, I don't think anyone could help her."

Tony just smiled.

"I…" Tim began only to hesitate.

"If you want to say something, go ahead," Tony said, looking at Tim. "I won't pry for more information than you're willing to give."

Tim scrunched his nose as he thought about the time he's spent in the hospital. "I remember hearing Abby's voice," he finally said, "But I don't remember seeing her or even anyone mentioning her."

Tony sighed as he thought about how to respond. "She was at the hospital on Thursday, we all were," he repeated. "She, Ziva, and I had a slight argument in the waiting room; later she and I had another argument. She huffed off when Gibbs wouldn't let her see you alone," he admitted. "Apparently she came by yesterday after we returned to the bullpen. Ducky was here, made her leave. I don't know what she said though," Tony admitted, "And I don't believe anyone knew she was coming," he added.

Tim nodded, "I don't really remember what she said either, I just remember hearing her voice," he admitted.

Tony nodded, grateful that Tim couldn't remember since, knowing Abby, it wasn't something that would be beneficial for the younger man.

"So, do you remember what anyone else said or am I just special?" Tony asked, grinning at Tim.

Tim raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were _very_ special Agent Tony DiNozzo, doesn't that answer the question?"

Tony rolled his eyes, but didn't press, "I guess it does," he replied, grinning at his teammate.

"Um," Tony hesitated, not sure if he should ask this.

"What?" came the wary response.

"You don't have to answer," Tony informed the other man. "Feel free to say it's none of my business,"

"It's none of your business," Tim automatically replied.

"Uh, okay, then," Tony said, immediately dropping the subject. "So, are you hungry? I can call for breakfast for you," he offered.

Tim just looked at him, not sure how to respond. "Yeah, breakfast is good," he finally said before telling Tony what he wanted. After Tony was finished, Tim just continued looking at him, as if he was waiting for something. Tony just met his gaze and held it, curious about what Tim was thinking now, but not asking, knowing that if Tim wanted him to know, he would tell him, especially with the medication he was on.

"I was kidding," Tim said a few minutes later still holding Tony's gaze.

"About what you want for breakfast?" Tony asked, turning to reach for the phone. "What do you want instead? Steak and eggs like I recommended?"

"No, I want French toast. I like steak, just don't see it as a breakfast food. I meant that I was kidding about it being none of your business. Well," Tim paused, "I guess I was more joking around. You told me to feel free to tell you that, so I did," he admitted. "I don't really know whether or not it's your business since I don't know what you wanted to ask. Of course, just by you saying that I could tell you that it's none of your business makes me believe that it isn't…your business, that is," Tim added. "But that doesn't mean that I won't answer your question. Of course, I _could_ still say it was none of your business and mean it, but I won't really know until or unless you ask. I could also actually answer your que-"

"Whoa, Tim, stop," Tony pleaded. "I'm getting a headache listening to you. And surprisingly I believe I was still able follow all of that and understand it. Now, are you still open to me asking my question? And again, your choice whether you choose to answer or not," he reminded the younger man.

Tim nodded, making sure to keep his mouth shut since he probably would just rattle on until Tony stopped him again.

"I was just curious about why no one outside of work came to check on you, other than your sister. I mean, I haven't seen your parents here nor have I heard that they've called to talk to you."

"They might not even know," Tim replied. "I know I didn't tell them, not sure if Gibbs or the director did."

"Gibbs said he would let everyone who needs to know, know," Tony commented.

Tim nodded, not surprised by that. He remembered Gibbs doing the same when Tony contracted the plague. "Sarah could have told them, as well," he added as an afterthought.

"I would hope she would," Tony injected.

Tim shrugged. "So they probably do know. Still, I'm not surprised they're not here. The Admiral is probably at sea, he wouldn't leave just to watch me sleep."

"And your mother?"

"Probably had plans she couldn't cancel for the weekend," Tim replied.

Tony looked at Tim in shock. He had thought that Tim had the perfect family life, the perfect upbringing, son doted on by loving parents. Based on this conversation and what Ziva had let slip a few times, that wasn't even close to being true.

He decided to leave the issue of family alone for now and follow up with the other half of his thought. "I get that your gaming buddies won't necessarily come since they probably don't know who you are, let alone that you are hurt, but surely there are other people, friends we can contact for you," he offered.

Tim frowned at the latter half. "Call and have them do what?" Tim asked. "They're not doctors or physical therapists, so all they can do is watch me sleep and I have enough people doing that," he replied dryly, pointedly looking at Tony. "Plus it would be a bit weird to call and say, "Yeah, just telling you that Tim McGee is in the hospital with a GSW and knife wound. I mean it would be one thing if I had plans to meet them for lunch and they had to be called so they weren't waiting for me or worried when I didn't show up, but to just call out of the blue and tell them that I was hurt? That's weird," Tim repeated.

"Right," Tony replied with a nod, he could see that.

"Plans…" Tim repeated absently, rubbing his head. "I had plans this weekend with Ziva. I have to let her know that I can't make it."

"Ziva?" Tony repeated, confused for a moment before he remembered the conversation from earlier in the week. "Oh, right, the circus double date. Well, Probie, don't worry, I'm pretty sure that Ziva knows you won't make it," he added with a grin before it slowly faded as another thought came to him. "Oh, wait, do you mean her as in your girlfriend? Yeah, I don't know if she knows about this. I mentioned to Ziva and Gibbs on Thursday that someone had to track her down. Gibbs said he would take care of it. Um," he paused, looked at Tim for a moment. "I'm really surprised that she hasn't stopped by, even if it was for just a few minutes."

Tim tilted his head to the side as he met Tony's gaze. "She did come. She was here," he stated, a smile on his face.

Tony smiled at Tim, "No 'she's not my girlfriend?" he asked curiously.

Tim shrugged, "We didn't really talk, 'cause I was mostly sleeping, but she talked to me. And from what she said I think she already considers herself my girlfriend. She said I worried her when I was hurt and I'm pretty sure she kissed me. When I woke yesterday, I could smell her perfume on my blanket."

Tony blinked, surprised at that information. No one had mentioned that she stopped by to Tony, then again, no doubt they were trying to protect Tim's privacy. After thinking about it for a couple more minutes, Tony realized that if he woke _yesterday_ with his bed smelling like her, than she stopped by on Thursday. He was here for most of that evening and returned early Friday morning. "Well, I'm glad it's working out for you and that she stopped by to see you. I'm sorry I missed her."

"You saw her," he stated, causing Tony to blink in surprise again. He was pretty sure he would have remembered Tim's girlfriend stopping by. Then he remembered Tim's reactions to the medications he was on and how he thought Tony's visit was just a dream. No doubt he either dreamed about her visit or confused her with Ziva or someone else.

"Well, if she saw you, and knows that you won't be released till tomorrow at the earliest, I'm sure she's figured out that you won't make it to the circus," Tony stated.

"Yeah. I was looking forward to it, too," Tim admitted.

"Yeah?" Tony repeated, trying to make conversation and learn more about his teammate. "What do you like most about the circus?"

"Cotton Candy," Tim immediately replied. "It's _spun_ sugar. How cool is that? Looks like clouds and tastes like heaven. It tastes better at circuses and fairs than other places," he solemnly informed Tony. "That packaged stuff just isn't the same."

"I'll take your word on that," an amused Tony replied. "But I was thinking more along the line of the circus acts. You know, the clowns, the lions, elephants…" he prodded.

"Sarah doesn't like clowns. She came downstairs once when I was watching Poltergeist with my friends, it was right at the clown scene. A week later mom found anything of hers with a clown on it buried in the back of her closet," Tim shared. "The animals are nice, but I think I like them better in nature than in a building. I like the acrobats and trapeze artists best. The first time I saw them perform I wanted to be one."

"Um, Tim," Tony hesitated, not wanting the younger man to think he was making fun of him, "You're afraid of heights."

Tim just looked at him and blinked. "So?"

Tony just shook his head, "Nothing," he replied, giving a shrug.

Tim nodded glad he won that argument. "Ooh, breakfast," he said struggling to sit up as a tray was brought into his room and placed in front of him.

Tony helped him sit up before moving the cover off the food and presenting it to Tim.

Tim frowned as he looked at the tray. "Hey, where are the cookies?" Tim asked as he continued to stare at the breakfast platter.

"They don't have cookies available for breakfast," Tony informed him.

Tim pouted, "The dark side has cookies," he mumbled before pouring a generous helping of maple syrup on his French toast and digging into his breakfast, leaving Tony to just stare at him, not sure how to respond.

* * *

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Tony said as he entered the bullpen, causing Ziva to stare at him because of the apology. "Traffic was a bear. It took Ducky a bit to get to the hospital and even longer for me to get here."

Those words had Ziva glaring at her teammate.

"How's Tim doing?" Gibbs asking, giving Tony a nod to let him know that he knows it was out of his control and that he appreciates the apology.

"Okay," Tony replied, wanting to give an update without sharing any of Tim's secrets. "He's got a lot on his mind, so wasn't able to sleep as much as he should've," Tony admitted. "Medication still having the same effect," he added, causing Gibbs to glare at him. "I behaved," he promised as the older man's gaze sought out the truth in his eyes before finally nodding.

"Good, I'm going for coffee. See what you can find regarding any buildings Presley Construction worked on around the same time period as the Colosseum," he added as he exited the room.

"You had last night," Ziva commented still glaring at Tony.

"Yeah. Gibbs wanted us to take the night shifts for a couple of reasons. First he suspected that if Abby tried anything it would most likely be during that time and second, he wanted us here during the day to work on the case."

"And you gave yourself the first night shift," she noted.

"Hey! It wasn't like that," he protested. "You had the last half of Thursday night and admitted that you couldn't sleep before you went to the hospital. I figure you probably didn't get much sleep on those chairs in Probie's room, so you probably needed a good nights rest."

Ziva snorted. She had slept better at the hospital, joining Tim on his bed than she had in her own bed last night.

"I promise," he said, meeting her eyes. "That's all I was thinking about. It really didn't matter to me who had what night."

Ziva slowly nodded, believing him. "How is Tim?"

"Good. As I said, a lot on his mind and that medication," Tony shook his head. "He really has no filter, and the things he thinks about."

Ziva smiled, "Sarah mentioned that he was like that when he was in his car accident. His mind seemed to go twenty times faster, though he does not stay on one topic for long."

"Ain't that the truth," Tony muttered. "One minute we're talking, serious talking," Tony added, "The next he's asking about cake and cookies. I never knew Tim had a sweet tooth."

Ziva smiled. She did, she also knew that he tried to limit how much sweets he ate, especially since he worked so hard to lose that extra weight.

"And he's really doing well?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, Ducky said he'll call after the Doctor does his morning rounds to give us an update. We'll have to come up with a plan for when he's released from the hospital," Tony noted.

"Speaking of Abby," Ziva began, "What happened yesterday?"

"I know what you know," Tony replied, not meeting her gaze.

"That may be true," Ziva admitted, "But you suspect something."

Tony shrugged, "She was here when we arrived yesterday. I'm guessing she went to the hospital _after_ Gibbs told her not to. I'm thinking she was suspended for the day. Gibbs was very serious about us not talking to Tim about anything. For Abby to disobey and still try to do that," he paused and shrugged, "Gibbs had to do something. He couldn't let blatant disobedience like that go unchecked.

"And now I'm wondering if the director heard about it and that's why he called Gibbs into his office," Tony added thoughtfully.

Ziva nodded, that did make sense. "And why did Gibbs want to talk to you yesterday after he got off the phone? Did he suspect you were involved?"

"No!" Tony denied emphatically. "I haven't really talked to Abby this week."

"So you're a rat jumping ship," Ziva commented.

"No, I'm a rat trying to take responsibility for what he did and how he is. I don't have time to get caught up in any of Abby's drama," he corrected. "It took me a while, but I know I was wrong, what I did and how I treated Tim was wrong, regardless of what my reasons might have been," he admitted. "I'm just hoping to try to salvage something of our team, even if-" he broke abruptly off.

"Even if…" Ziva prodded.

Tony just shook his head, deciding not to share his suspicions that he might not be part of that team in the near future. "Gibbs was telling me that Vance agreed to wait for Tim before making a decision. He reminded me not to try to persuade Tim to drop the issue or to find out what he had decided," Tony said instead, answering her question.

Ziva nodded, looking at Tony curiously, wondering what he was going to say earlier.

"Did Abby show up?"

"No, thank goodness."

"Good," Ziva replied with a smirk, hoping the scientist would decide to visit tonight while she was there.

Tony eyed her suspiciously, instinct telling him that her reply wasn't in line with his. "Tim has enough to deal with as it is, he definitely doesn't need her drama either."

"I agree," Ziva replied, meeting his gaze.

"Er," Tony hesitated, "He probably doesn't want to have to deal with a teammate being arrested for assault or murder either," he commented.

Ziva just gave him a smile before settling back down to work.

* * *

3-10-19


	88. Saturday Mar 28, Visiting Hours (J88)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies;

* * *

Saturday Mar 28, Visiting Hours (J88)

* * *

It was an exhausted Ziva that arrived at the hospital later that night. By lunchtime she and Tony had a list of buildings in the DC area that Presley Construction had built within a few years of the Colosseum. She and Tony had then spent most of the afternoon searching those buildings for other secret tunnels. So far they haven't found anything and planned on resuming the search tomorrow morning.

Entering Tim's room, she stopped short at the sight of an older woman sitting in the chair next to Tim, only to have Tony run into her.

"Ziva!" Tony hissed, "Why'd you stop?"

In response, Ziva just stepped aside allowing Tony to see into the room.

"Hello," Tony greeted as he walked forward. "I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, this is Ziva David, we work with Tim," he said as he looked around the room for Sarah, also noticing that Tim seemed to be sleeping again.

She nodded, "I trust you are not the ones I need to keep away from my Tim?" she asked, watching Ziva.

"Ah, no," Tony responded, wondering what she knew. "Um, is Sarah here?"

"In this room, no. She went to get some food."

Tony nodded. "How is he?"

"The doctor says he is better, having just recently heard about his injuries, I did not have the opportunity to see him before now so I cannot make that judgment myself," she replied, glaring at them.

"Right," Tony said, a bit uncomfortable at the censure in her voice. At least there wasn't any doubt that she cared for Probie, he thought, even though he still wondered who she was. He was pretty sure that this wasn't Tim's mother, since Tim didn't believe she would cancel plans to visit him. "Is he still expected to be released tomorrow?"

"Yes, if things continue as they are."

"Good," Tony nodded. "How often has he asked to go home?"

She smiled at them, still watching Ziva as she took the chair next to her and focused on Tim. "More so now than when he was on that pain medication."

"He's not on any pain medication?" A worried Ziva inquired.

"He is," she explained. "Just not the heavy duty stuff."

"Is it doing a sufficient job managing the pain?" Ziva asked.

The older woman nodded, "It seems to. He is able to sleep well; if he was in pain, that wouldn't happen."

"And he will no doubt appreciate being able to control what he talks about," Tony commented with a grin.

Ziva turned and glared at him, "What did you do?"

"Nothing," he promised. "I just heard all about how Sarah doesn't like clowns, how he wanted to be a trapeze artist, his love of cotton candy," Tony began with a shrug. "Hey, that reminds me," he said, looking a Ziva. "I know you have those tickets to the circus, I would be glad to join you for that outing since Tim and his girlfriend will not be able to make it," he offered.

She shook her head.

"Oh, come on, Ziva. I'll even buy the other tickets off of you so you don't have to eat them."

She frowned, "Why would I eat the tickets?" she asked. "I doubt that I will be that hungry."

Tony rolled his eyes, "It means take on the cost yourself. I figured Tim would reimburse you for the tickets he and Peggy were going to use, so I figured I can do so in his place."

"The performance was for tonight," Ziva informed him, "and when Tim was injured I made other plans for them," she informed her teammate.

"Oh, well, that's good, I guess. I probably should have asked earlier, especially when I was creating the schedule for Tim."

Ziva shrugged, "That is okay. If I had a conflict, I would have told you."

"Peggy?" The older woman questioned, wondering who this person they mentioned in connection to her grandson was.

"His secret girlfriend," Tony explained.

"Can't be too much of a secret if you knew her name," the older woman said as she gave him a look that reminded Tony of Tim. No doubt about it, they were related somehow. "Last I knew, the woman he liked was nam-"

"Hey, Ziva, Tony," Sarah greeted as she entered the room and interrupted their conversation. "Sorry, they didn't have much downstairs," Sarah said, turning to the older woman and handing her a fruit cup. "I'll go out and grab something for us in a few minutes, Penny."

"Penny?" Tony and Ziva repeated.

"Our father's mother," Sarah explained.

Tony frowned, "That would make her your gr-"

"We don't use that term," Penny interrupted. "Penelope Langston," she introduced herself, holding out her hand.

"Oh, Sorry," Sarah sheepishly injected before performing introductions.

Once that was completed, Penny looked between Tim's teammates, "Now who can tell me why my grandson is laying in the hospital and why I wasn't notified?"

"He's in the hospital because he was injured," Gibbs replied as he entered the room. "As for why you weren't notified," he shrugged, "That's because I don't know who you are."

With a sigh, Sarah once more introduced her grandmother. "Agent Gibbs, Penelope Langston, my father's mother."

Gibbs nodded, "You'll have to discuss why you weren't notified with your grandchildren," he answered.

"And why is that?" she asked, staring at him.

"Tim listed his sister and mother as his emergency contacts. I did not have a number to contact you even if I knew you existed."

"I see," Penny stated, turning to Sarah.

"I called you," Sarah protested as her grandmother continued to stare at her.

Turning to Gibbs, the older woman asked, "And when was Timothy injured?"

"Thursday afternoon."

Penny looked at Sarah for a moment before turning back to Gibbs, "And when did you contact Sarah?"

"Later that day after Timothy was out of surgery and we had more information."

Penny glared at her granddaughter again who fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I called you," she repeated.

"Saturday morning," Penny replied dryly.

"Last night," Sarah argued, glaring back at Penny.

"It was Saturday morning where I was."

"I didn't want to wake you?" Sarah feebly offered, her words sounding more like a question than a statement.

Penny just gave her a scolding look before turning to the team leader. "In the future you will contact me as soon as something happens to Timothy. I will make sure you have my number before you leave."

Tony opened his mouth to comment only to have Ziva elbow his ribs and hiss, "Don't". She didn't know what he planned on saying, but she wasn't going to take the chance, especially with Tim's family present.

Gibbs nodded, "If Tim adds you to his emergency list, of course," he replied, earning a glare from the older woman.

"Fine. I will be sure to speak to Timothy about that," she reluctantly conceded. "Now, where is my ex-daughter-in-law and my son?"

"Ex?" Tony mouthed in surprise, he didn't know Probie's parents were divorced. As one, they all turned towards Sarah.

"I haven't been able to talk to Dad," she admitted. "He's at sea, but I did leave a message to be forwarded to him, but I haven't heard back yet."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. The admiral should have received that message by now and would have had ample opportunity to contact his family or the hospital.

"Hmph," Penny snorted. "He'll return my call," she promised. "And Claire?"

"Claire?" Tony choked out. Did Probie tell his grandmother about Claire? Was that the last she knew about Tim's love life?

Penny looked at him, wondering why he went pale. "Are you okay, Agent DiNozzo? Perhaps you should have a seat before you end up sharing a hospital room with Tim."

"I'm fine," Tony said before repeating, "Claire?"

"Timothy's and Sarah's mother."

"Oh," the younger agent replied in relief, earning a smirk from his team and an odd look from Penny.

"She said to keep her posted on the situation," Sarah reluctantly admitted.

"Situation?" Penny repeated. "I'll give her a _situation_ ," she muttered as she grabbed her phone and exited Tim's hospital room.

"At one point, she loved my mom," Sarah stated sadly.

"Before she divorced your father?" Tony guessed.

Sarah shook her head. "Before she divorced me and Tim, Penny didn't blame her for divorcing him. Actually, I think she encouraged it," Sarah added in an odd tone.

Ziva frowned, "How could she-"

"Figuratively, not literally," Sarah clarified. "Once I was at school and no longer living at home, she stopped becoming involved in our day to day life," Sarah explained. "Birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, we talked on those days, but other than that," Sarah's voice trailed off and she shrugged. "She remarried a widower with four kids. Two of them are still living with them as they attend college, the other two live locally and are married with kids of their own. She focuses on them now."

"Whoa," Tony whispered, his eyes wide open, figuratively and literally. Probie's family life was nothing like he imagined.

"Her loss," Ziva said softly, looking between the brother and sister duo. "She does not know what she is missing out on."

Sarah gave Ziva a grateful smile.

"What's the latest?" Gibbs asked, changing the subject and nodding towards Tim.

"Outta here tomorrow," Tim muttered, causing everyone to turn to the bed where Tim slowly opened his eyes and gave them a weak smile, "Even if AMA."

Tony smiled at that comment, Ziva glared, and Gibbs just smirked.

"AMA?" A puzzled Sarah asked, wondering about his teammates responses.

"Against medical advice," Tony explained, causing Sarah to nod in understanding.

"We'll see," Gibbs replied. "If you are released, you can stay at my place for the night, especially if you sign yourself out," he replied, his tone giving no quarter, though Tim still tried.

"I'll be fine."

"You're always fine," Gibbs muttered. "And you shouldn't be left alone with those injuries. Jethro can even stay too," Gibbs added.

Tony just looked at Gibbs, "I have someone who can help me if needed. They'll even walk Jethro for me."

"Yeah, you do," Gibbs agreed. " _Me_."

Tim shook his head. "Someone already in my building," Tim added. ""No doubt I'll be more comfortable in my own place. I'm sure that she'll check on me and Jethro often."

Tony snorted suspecting he meant Sandy. "I need a friend like that."

Tim frowned as he looked at Tony, "You don't have a dog," he commented, slightly confused by Tony's comment before dismissing it and turning back to Gibbs. "There's no reason to put you out."

"You won't," Gibbs argued. "And you will stay, at least that first night," he stated firmly.

"We'll see," Tim replied, echoing the older man's words from earlier.

Ziva rolled her eyes at the two of them. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "I heard they changed your pain medication."

Tim nodded, "Yeah. And I'm good. It's nice to have some kind of control again."

Tony snickered, "I'm sure."

Tim raised an eyebrow as he turned towards the SFA, "You know, I _do_ remember all those conversations, right?" he commented, causing everyone else in the room to smirk at Tony, as they can imagine what was said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Then what's with you and cookies?" Tony asked. "I never known you to be so obsessed with them."

Tim snorted, "Where do you think all that extra weight came from a few years ago?"

"Seriously," Tony replied, "Your love of cookies rivals Santa Claus's."

"Or the Cookie Monster," Sarah injected playfully.

"Oh, yeah," Tony smiled. "Sarah told us that when you were younger you wanted to be the cookie monster when you grew up."

"Or a trapeze artist," Tim added unapologetically before giving a shrug. "He's blue, a monster, and eats cookies all the time, can you really blame me?"

"I certainly can't," Penny answered as she approached his bed. She had reentered his room unnoticed by most of the occupants and had watched and listened as her grandson interacted with his teammates. "I believe his love of cookies and his mind are two of the things he got from me," she added, as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"It's good to see you awake," she added as she reclaimed her seat by his bed, everyone soon following her lead and sitting down.

"Good to see you," he added. "I hope you didn't cut your trip short because of this."

She just looked at him. "Of course I did," she replied. "And I would've made it shorter if I had been told earlier," she added, glancing again at Sarah.

"Geesh, enough already," an exasperated Sarah injected. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you earlier. Tim," she began turning to her brother, "Do us both a favor and make sure you add her to you emergency contact list. That way she can get mad at Gibbs and not me," she said, crossing her arms.

Most of the room smiled at her reaction.

"Okay," Tim agreed. "I'll make sure I do that as soon as I get back to the yard."

"Good," Penny nodded her approval.

* * *

"Boss, can you tell me about the case?" Tim asked. Sarah had pulled Penny away to get some real food, suspecting that Tim and the team needed to talk shop.

"Tony and I found a list of buildings in the built by Presley around the same time as the Colosseum," Ziva added. "We started to inspect them today for secret passageways. So far, nothing."

"We're going to continue tomorrow," Tony added, "At least the buildings that are open on Sunday we will, the rest will probably have to wait until Monday."

Tim nodded, "And Presley? Alan?" he asked. "Has he returned your calls yet?"

"No," Ziva admitted.

"I did receive word from the FBI that he was here," Gibbs added, staring at Tim. "I talked with him for a few minutes."

Ziva and Tony whipped their heads around in surprise.

"What did he say?" all three of his agents asked simultaneously.

"Not much," Gibbs admitted. "He was very focused on his brother. He did agree to come to the yard tomorrow so we can talk."

Tony frowned, "If he's guilty, do you think he'll pull a runner?"

Gibbs shook his head, "I don't think so, not with his brother injured."

Another frown, "Should we increase security now that we _know_ he's in the building?" Tony asked. "Just in case?"

Tim frowned, "I really don't need a babysitter."

"Really?" Tony argued. "And what if Presley stops by to have 'a word' when Sarah or your gr-Penny," he corrected when Tim opened his mouth, "is visiting? Are you willing to risk their safety?"

Tim sighed, "No," he admitted. "God, I hate being useless."

"Hey!" Gibbs exclaimed, seeking Tim's attention. "You're not useless. You're injured."

"Same thing," Tim muttered.

"You got injured doing your _job_. You took down your attacker _after_ you were shot and stabbed, protecting your teammate and possibly giving us a lead on this case. You are far away from useless," he added, "Got it?"

"Yes, boss," Tim replied.

"Good," Gibbs nodded before providing Tim with additional details regarding the case.

Once finished, he sent Tony and Ziva to get some coffee. The two began to protest, but quickly stopped when Gibbs turned and glared at them. They weren't sure why, but realized that he wanted to talk to Tim privately.

"What's up?" Tim asked once his teammates had left.

"Wanted to talk about this with you yesterday," he admitted, "But between the medication you were on and what you had to say, thought it would be best to wait."

Tim grimaced, "Yeah, sorry," he automatically said, before cringing the apology.

"Hey, none of that," Gibbs counseled. "I just wish you felt that you could talk to me without those meds in your system," he admitted. "First, I met with Lean Toothpick Thursday night as planned, though it was a bit later than originally intended," he began, smirking when Tim blushed at the nickname. "He wants me to tell you that he's on your side. He has also agreed to wait until you are well enough to come into the yard and have a meeting to discuss what you want to do." When Tim went to open his mouth, Gibbs continued. "Nope. No reason to tell me now," he said. "If you want to talk about it, we can," he added, "but you don't have to share your decision with me," he added before explaining more about his meeting with the Director. He decided not to talk about Tony's confession since he didn't want to give Tim reason to rethink things again.

"We would like to take care of that this coming week," he admitted. "We can't let it drag out forever."

"I know," Tim agreed. "I shouldn't have taken so long to figure it out."

"Hey! It's okay," Gibbs reassured him. "No doubt there was a lot to think about."

Tim just shrugged dismissively.

"Tony and Abby both know that they are not to pressure you about what to do, nor are they to approach the topic with you," Gibbs added. "In fact, Abby has actually been informed that she is not to visit you before informing myself or the Director and having one of us present."

Tim snorted, imaging that wouldn't really be effective.

"I mean it," Gibbs said. "And that brings me to my next topic. I owe you an apology."

"What?" an incredulous Tim asked.

"I've been blind to what had been going on with my team. Recently, I've made you many promises about how things are going to change and I promise that they will. One of the first things is Rule 6. That rule does not apply for friends and teammates. I hope that someday all of us will consider ourselves to be both of those," he added. "I've said this before, though you've never taken me up on it, but my door is always open. No invitation required. If you need to talk, about a case, the team, your family, or anything else my door is open," he repeated. "I would rather not have to ask Ducky to keep some of that pain medication on hand, but if that is what it takes…" he trailed off.

Tim snickered. "Only if we can give some to everyone," he commented. "It'll be a new version of truth or dare."

Gibbs snorted, "I'd prefer 20 questions. I can only imagine the dares DiNozzo would think up."

Tim groaned. Yeah, nothing good would come of playing truth or dare with Tony.

"I pulled you onto my team for a lot of reasons," Gibbs admitted. "You're good and you've gotten better, and that's despite of us not because of us," he admitted. "You deserve better than to be stuck at a computer, regardless of how good you are at that. You deserve better than being Abby's back up lab tech. You deserve better than you've gotten, you deserve better than me and the teammates we've been," he added. "Things will change," he repeated. "I hope you give me a chance to make things right."

Tim just nodded, not sure what to say.

"Anything else?" he finally asked.

Gibbs paused as he thought things through, "Can't think of anything right now," he admitted.

Tim nodded again. "Um," he hesitated, continuing when Gibbs just looked at him, patiently waiting for Tim to decide what, if anything he wanted to say. "Tony apologized. Sincerely," he added. "Twice."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at his words.

"The first time was while I was unconscious," Tim admitted. "Even though I didn't wake up, I heard it. Actually thought it was a dream, because, well, Tony apologizing?" he asked rhetorically. "Anyway, he had a lot to say. He didn't just apologize for the last few weeks, but for the last few years."

Gibbs nodded, glad that Tony had done that.

"He also told me that he talked with the Director," Tim admitted. "Um, that was on Thursday, he didn't repeat that," he added. "And I don't think I imagined that."

Gibbs nodded again. "You didn't," he confirmed. "He did confess everything to Vance."

Tim groaned.

"What?" Gibbs asked, unable to stop himself as he wondered what caused that reaction.

Tim shook his head, "I can just imagine what Vance might think of me now."

"Hey!" he called in lieu of a head slap. "That didn't impact what he thinks of you, not negatively," he added. "If anything, he thinks you have the patience of a saint for all that you've put up with these last few years. And as I said, a lot of that is on me. I should have seen what was going on, I should have stopped it."

"But-"

"No buts," Gibbs injected. "You have the right to expect to be treated fairly and with respect at the workplace. I prevented that from happening by not stepping in. Vance knows that, and believe it or not, he does like you," he added. "As I said earlier, he's on your side. The only reason why he hadn't stepped in with Tony before is because of lack of evidence or complaints and he didn't want to rock the boat," Gibbs admitted.

Tim went silent as he thought about that. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse. Knowing that some of this could have been prevented if he had just spoken up.

"Tim," Gibbs warned, suspecting what his agent was thinking.

"Okay," Tim awkwardly agreed, knowing he was caught.

"Um, how are things in the bullpen?"

Gibbs looked at him for a moment, wondering what Tim was thinking, what he was really asking, before responding. "Not too bad," he admitted. "Tony's trying to behave and Ziva's trying to be patient and giving him the benefit of the doubt," he added with a smirk. "Just in case, I locked away her paperclips," he joked. "You're missed, and not just because of your computer skills," he pointedly added. "I told you, you are mean more to the team than you think."

"Can I really break up the team?" he absently asked himself, not realizing he said it out loud.

"Yes."

"What?" a confused Tim asked.

"If you feel that you cannot work with Tony or myself, that you cannot trust us to have your back, than you definitely need to tell us that," Gibbs informed him. "And it won't be you doing anything," Gibbs replied. "We, all of us, brought it on ourselves. You need to decide if you want to file a formal complaint against them or not and if you feel you can work with Tony; if you can trust him. Whatever else happens will be up to the Director."

"But-"

"They brought it upon themselves," Gibbs repeated. "With a help from me," he added. "And regardless of what happens, this can be a good thing. Tony is finally growing up. He's a good agent, now he has the opportunity to be a better man as well."

"And Abby" Tim asked.

"Should've grown up a while ago as well," he admitted. "And I'll be honest, even now, she still doesn't see anything wrong with what she's done, that's one of the reasons why we are restricting her visits to you. Things there might get worse before they get better…if they get better," he added.

"And you're really okay with that?"

"I'm not sacrificing you for her," Gibbs replied. "Nor am I sacrificing her for you," he added when Tim opened his mouth to comment. "She's had plenty of time to come to terms with what has happened, there is no reason to baby her. It's time for her to face the music.

"You need to do what you feel is right; based on what happened. The fact that Tony apologize does not have to play a role in what you decide. There shouldn't be any get out of jail free cards in this situation."

Tim just nodded as he thought about those words, part of him grateful that it will be a few days before he could return to the bullpen.

* * *

"Sarah told me that some of you have stayed the night here? In Tim's room," Penny added, looking at the agents. She and Sarah had returned after a leisurely meal at a local restaurant. The two woman had a lot to catch up, plus Sarah mentioned that Tim and the team probably wanted to talk about the case and wouldn't do so while they were around.

"My babysitters," Tim muttered, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Ziva and I split that first night, and I stayed last night, Ziva is going to stay tonight." Tony explained to Penny.

Penny looked at him before turning back to the team. "Well, there is no reason for anyone to stay tonight. I will be taking over babysitting duty."

"Penny," Tim protested, "I don't need a babysitter. Plus you've traveled halfway across the world, I'm sure you would be more comfortable at home in your own bed, I know I would be," he added.

"Hush," she admonished. "As you said, I've been halfway around the world, one more night away from my own bed will not matter. The important thing, _person_ ," she corrected, "here is you. If I want to stay and visit with my grandson, I will. If I have to do that in a hospital room, over night, so be it," she added. "Of course, if I had been informed of your injury in a more timely manner, we might already be caught up with each other, leaving you in peace," she commented, giving Sarah a pointed look.

"Well count me out on that slumber party," Sarah informed them. "Much as I would love to continue catching up, I really don't want to hear about how I didn't contact you quickly enough for your liking all night."

Penny nodded, "And now you know what to do to avoid that situation from happening again."

Sarah grinned, "Not contact you at all?"

"Bit your tongue, young lady," Penny responded, "You're still not too old to put across my lap," she added, amusing everyone in the room.

"Penny, I'll be fine," Tim began in protest. "I'll probably end up sleeping all night and I really don't need anyone to watch me sleep, it's actually kind of creepy," he admitted.

Penny didn't reply, just looked at Ziva, waiting for her to give in.

"We weren't just babysitters," Tony added, "but guards."

Penny furrowed her brow, "Against A-"

"Anyone or anything that might disrupt Tim's healing," Gibbs injected, not wanting to discuss what was going on at work with Tim's family, at least, not with everyone present.

Penny looked at the older man, trying to gauge if a guard was completely necessary. Apparently she saw something in his eyes that indicated that it was and responded accordingly. "Very well, Ziva can stay as well, I will welcome the company."

"He will be in good hands with me here," Ziva stated, meeting his grandmother's gaze. "There is no need for you to stay as well."

She shrugged, "As I said, we have a lot of catching up to do."

"You can stay as long as you would like," Ziva noted. "As long as it is peaceful for the patients and the staff, they do not enforce visiting hours."

Penny met her gaze, "I would rather be here with one of my grandchildren and their teammate than home alone and Sarah already mentioned that she is abandoning me for the evening."

Ziva looked at her before her gaze drifted towards Sarah, Tim, and Gibbs, those that knew about her relationship with Tim. Sarah looked backed and mouthed 'stubborn'; Gibbs just smirked at her and raised an eyebrow as if asking her if she was going to throw his grandmother out, while Tim shrugged and avoided direct eye contact.

* * *

3-13-19

* * *

So, I hope you guys liked Penny (or my version)...


	89. Sunday March 29, Going Home (J89)

Not Beta'd; Unfortunately, I did not acquire the rights to NCIS or any of the characters during my hiatus.

* * *

Sunday March 29, Going Home (J89)

* * *

Ziva hoped that she was successfully hiding her displeasure from Penny as she clasped her hands in her lap to prevent her fingers from absently drumming on the table next to her. She did not care if Tim picked up on her displeasure. In fact, part of her hoped he did since she couldn't help but feel annoyed with him that he did not try to dissuade his grandmother from staying at the hospital overnight so that the two of them could spend some time alone. All it would have taken was a word or two to reassure the older woman that he would be fine without her for the night. He even could have feigned sleep or declared that he was so tired that he was not up to company that evening, that he would probably end up sleeping all night, while encouraging Penny to return to her house for the evening. Ziva abruptly turned her head, to prevent the glare that resulted from that thought from being noticed by the recipient or his grandmother. Her thoughts quickly turning to other ways Tim might have been able to persuade his grandmother to leave them alone. It wasn't long before the thought that Tim might not _want_ to be alone with her snuck in her mind.

"Ziva…Ziva?" Penny repeatedly called before lightly touching the young woman on the shoulder and bringing her back into the present conversation. Throughout her conversation with Tim, she shot furtive glances at her grandson's teammate. At first Penny thought Ziva was remaining silent to allow the family members an opportunity to talk and catch up, but as time went on, she became rather worried about the young woman. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I am fine," Ziva replied firmly, as she quickly stood up, a quick glance at the time making her realize that an hour had passed by while she was occupied with her thoughts. "I will be back in a moment," she informed them before exiting the room, determined to get herself back under control.

Penny couldn't help but look at Tim, who would not meet her eyes. She was curious about why he had not met either of his companions gaze since the rest of the team left. In fact, he had barely even looked at Ziva. It was as if she wasn't even in the room. "No doubt she is tired from working so much," Penny offered as an explanation. "Your sister told me that it is not unusual for you and your team to spend the night at your desks when on a case."

"Yeah," Tim replied, his gaze quickly drifting to the door Ziva stood behind before turning away.

"So, tell me more about what you have been up to," Penny demanded. "I cannot believe I had to hear from your sister that you are a bestselling novelist," she rebuked him. "How did that come about?"

With a groan, Tim began explaining about how he originally wrote the story as a way to deal with everything he saw and felt on the job. The 'what ifs' that could have happened regarding their cases and how he had no intention of submitting the manuscript, since he had written it for himself, not expecting anyone else to be interested in it.

"What made you change your mind?" Penny asked, interrupting his tale for the first time.

"I didn't," Tim replied dryly before explaining that Sarah had found it while snooping one day and had submitted it after reading the story. Before he knew it, he had a check and a contract and was working on the revisions the editor requested. In some ways, Tim considered that it was lucky that Sarah found the manuscript and not Tony.

She snorted, "That explains why Sarah knew about it."

Tim repeated her snort, "Knew? She was the cause," he reminded the older woman. "And if it wasn't bad enough that she took the manuscript and submitted it, she also told the team about the book."

"I take it that did not go over well?"

Tim just gave her a look before turning away. Penny fell silent as she looked at her beloved grandson, wondering if that was the reason for the tension she felt between him and his teammates. Realizing that it wasn't the time and place to press him for more information, especially with one of those teammates so close, she changed the subject. "So, tell me about Peggy."

"Peggy?" he repeated, looking at her in surprise.

"Your girlfriend," Penny reminded him, realizing that the relationship couldn't be that serious if he didn't remember her name. Tim just silently shook his head, not commenting on the topic she chose. Penny sighed and instead decided to talk about her travels.

She had been talking for less than fifteen minutes when Ziva reentered the room and reclaiming her seat as she listened to the older woman talk. That began a long conversation all three of them participated in about the places they have been or would like to go. It was two hours later when Ziva extended her hand and softly tapped Penny's arm. When the older woman looked at her, Ziva inclined her head towards the sleeping Timothy.

Penny smiled indulgently. "I was waiting for him to fall asleep. Usually talking about my past puts him right to sleep," she explained.

Ziva snorted, "I doubt that he finds you boring or would fall asleep while you were talking."

Penny gave her a small smile before replying, "Not boring, just familiar," she stated. "He has heard them since he was knee-high and with his memory can probably recite them with me. Of course, this time, someone closer to his age was present and participating in the conversation as well. No doubt he enjoyed learning more about you."

With another smile at the younger woman, Penny stood up. "Now that he is asleep, I think I will finally head to the bathroom. I've had to go for the last hour," she confided.

Ziva nodded as Tim's grandmother left, really wishing that she had done so earlier so that she and Tim would've been alone for at least a few minutes. Keeping her gaze on Tim, she stood up and approached his bedside. Unable to resist, her hand reached up to caress his head. Smiling softly at the sleeping, peaceful agent, she remembered how it felt to sleep beside him in the small bed and wishing she could do so again. Tomorrow he'll be home, then the two of them could talk, and if all went well, she would stay the night to help take care of him.

As Penny returned to the room, Ziva turned to talk to the older woman, hoping that she would be able to persuade her to leave.

"Now that he is asleep, he will probably remain that way all night," she hinted.

"I know," Penny commented. "But it's not often I get to see him-"

"Because of your traveling," Ziva nodded knowingly. "Speaking of that, you must be exhausted, traveling halfway around the world, through multiple time zones."

"Not too bad," she disagreed. "Being with Tim while he recovers from his injuries is worth it. Luckily, I do not have anything on my schedule but spending time with him. No meetings, seminars, conferences, baked chicken banquets," she added with a grimace.

Ziva frowned, "Baked chicken banquets?" she repeated, temporarily distracted from her goal.

Penny smiled at her, "No matter where you go, it seems like the food at those banquets is always the same, baked chicken that has been cooked too long and is extremely dry and rubbery," she shared, displaying her amusement regarding the situation. "Besides, a little exhaustion is good for the soul."

That was a saying Ziva had never heard before, but she wasn't about to argue with one of Tim's favorite family members. "Still," she began, trying to refocus the conversation. "While he is resting it is probably a wise idea for you to do the same…get the two of you on the same schedule so you can spend the time when he is awake together."

Penny laughed, "I believe the saying is 'Baby sleeps, you sleep'. It is not meant for injured agents."

"It should be," Ziva retorted, tired of trying to be subtle and bluntly said, "You do not have to stay."

"I don't often get to see him like this," Penny admitted, looking fondly at her sleeping grandson.

"Asleep? Wouldn't you rather see him when he is awake?"

"I would," she admitted.

Ziva smiled, glad that she had made some progress. "I will be fine on my own with Timothy," she hastened to reassure the older woman, wondering if it would be rude to usher her out of the room.

"I am sure you would be," Penny agreed as she stepped closer to Tim. Ziva held her breath, hoping that Penny was going to kiss her goodbye.

"You can return to your place, your own bed, get a good night sleep and come back early tomorrow morning, ready to entertain Tim all day," Ziva pointed out.

"But then I wouldn't get to see him like this," Penny replied, continuing before Ziva could say another word. "Not necessarily asleep, but peaceful, relaxed. This is the most carefree I've seen him," she sadly admitted. "It is rather sad that he is the most relaxed when he is sleeping, even as a child, that was often the case," she admitted sadly. "His life hasn't been an easy one, and I know it is not how he envisioned it, but this is what does my soul good, seeing him so relaxed and peaceful. This is why I wanted to stay tonight," she softly explained. "Once he is discharged, he would not accept me or anyone else in the room watching him sleep."

"Oh," Ziva quietly exclaimed, returning back to her chair and knowing that she could no longer attempt to get Tim's grandmother to leave the hospital, even if it meant she wouldn't have any time alone with Tim until after he was released tomorrow.

* * *

"How was your night with Ms. 'do-not-call-me-Grandma' Langston?" Tony asked as he walked into the bullpen the next morning and saw Ziva at work at her desk.

"Penny is a very interesting woman," Ziva admitted.

"Do tell," Tony pleaded.

Ziva just shrugged. "I do not think she was kidding when she said Timothy inherited his brains from her. She is incredibly smart. Do you know that she was a college Professor? She has many published articles in various scientific magazines and has even collaborated on a few books."

Tony stared at her, "Something else McGee inherited from her?" he asked.

"Tony, you really need to let that go," Ziva informed him sharply. "You and Tim will never have any semblance of a relationship if you keep harping on that."

Tony scoffed, "Who said we wanted a relationship?"

"Not Tim," Ziva stated pointedly. "However, I believe _you_ are the one who mentioned that he is your closest friend, and I am not just referring to proximity."

Tony ignored her comment instead replying, "But he wrote a book…about us…"

"If you really have a problem about the book, you need to talk with Tim about it," she seriously informed her teammate. "Talk," she repeated. "No jokes, no insults, but a real conversation about how it came about," she advised.

"And didn't tell us about it," Tony continued

"Can you blame him with how we reacted? Think about it. Think about how we treated him," she repeated, waiting a few minutes before continuing. "Now think about his book. From an unbiased view point," she added. "What did you think of it? Of the characters? The storyline?"

Tony hesitated, silent for a few minutes before he finally answered. "It was good," he grudgingly admitted. "Of course, the characters were interesting, they were us. They were," he pointed out when Ziva just glared at him. "Even Abby admitted that Tim described her, er, Amy's bedroom, which was Abby's to a 'T'."

Ziva glared at the reference of Tim being so familiar with Abby's bedroom. "He did take some similarities from the team," she reluctantly agreed. "But not everything is from us directly. Jimmy," she gave as an example, knowing the least said about Pimmy Jalmer the better. "Ducky's character is married with kids, their kids have kids. Gibbs has a couple of siblings, as do you," she pointed out. "And he has you and me in a secret relationship."

"Well, the last," Tony began.

"Will never happen," Ziva assured him firmly, trying not to laugh at the expression on Tony's face.

"It's really serious with guy in tights, huh?" Tony commented, trying for an attitude of indifference as he casually sipped his coffee and tried not to stare at her as he waited for her response.

"In or out of tights," Ziva replied with a smirk, hiding her grin when her companion began to choke on his coffee. "I believe he is the one for me and hope he feels the same. And if by chance it does not work out," she softly continued, her heart constricting at the thought, "You and I would still never happen. We are not a good combination."

"Yeah, I know" Tony reluctantly admitted. He had known that, but what guy wouldn't want to imagine themselves with Ziva or a girl like her? He was sure even Probie had dreams like that.

"A good combination would be a team that can solve this case," Gibbs said.

"Right," Ziva agreed wondering how the conversation had gotten to that current topic. "Working off of something Tim said earlier this morning, I am compiling a list of buildings that Presley built in connection with the architect for the Colosseum."

Gibbs nodded, "Send us addresses as soon as you have them," he instructed. "Tony and I will continue with the list from yesterday," he said as he began to head towards the elevator. Ziva nodding and returning to her computer as Tony stood in shock.

"Coming, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as the elevator arrived.

"Oh, right," Tony muttered as he scrambled for his bag and raced to the elevator, Ziva laughing at him the entire time.

* * *

Ziva frowned as Tony reentered the bullpen a few hours later. "You couldn't have checked all those locations already."

"We didn't," he confirmed. "Gibbs dropped me off before heading to the hospital."

"What happened?" she asked, jumping up and reaching for her belongings. "Is Tim okay?"

"Whoa, relax, there, Ziva. Everything is fine."

"Then why is Gibbs heading into the hospital? Why didn't he call me or take you with him and have me meet the two of you there?"

"He's just going to get McGee discharged," Tony informed her wondering why she was so worked up over this. "I don't think he needs us for that."

"Oh," a relieved Ziva uttered as she sat back down in her chair. "Are you sure that is all?"

"Unless Gibbs is lying to me," Tony replied. "Which he's not," he reassured his high-strung teammate as he went to his desk. "Now, back to more important matters,"

Ziva nodded. "Yes, the case," she agreed. "What did you find out?"

"No, not that," Tony shook his head, "I want to hear more about your night with McGee and Penny."

"Why?"

Tony frowned at her tone. "Hey I learned a lot of shocking things about Tim's family life yesterday. I'm just wondering if either Penny or McGee said anything else about that."

Ziva glared at him, "If they did, do you _honestly_ think I would share that information with you?"

"Hey, now," Tony replied, taken aback. "I don't mean anything like that. I don't want to know to tease or torment him, but, well," he paused and carded a hand through his hair. "I was _really_ shocked by what Sarah said about their parents. I mean, I can't believe that his father never called her back to find out about Tim or that his mom wouldn't cancel her plans, let alone that for all intents and purposes she had basically abandoned her kids."

"Hmph," Ziva muttered skeptically. "Regardless, no, we really didn't discuss much about Tim or his family, not even after he had fallen asleep," she added, suspecting what he would ask next. The one time she and Tim had been alone, when he had briefly woken up this morning while Penny still slept, Tim had immediately started asking about the case again, providing other suggestions to help them track down what was going on.

"Oh," Tony replied with a shrug before letting her know what he and Gibbs discovered on their field trip.

* * *

"Did you meet with Preston?" Tim asked, cutting off his conversation with his other visitors and turning to his boss the minute Gibbs entered his hospital room Sunday afternoon. "What did he say?"

"Good afternoon, Agent Gibbs," Penny stated, giving her grandson a pointed look. "So nice of you to visit Timothy again," she continued, ignoring the snickers of the room's oldest occupant.

"Penny," Tim groaned. Anyone who met Gibbs knows that he wasn't one for social pleasantries, especially when involved with a case. Tim snorted, even when not on a case the Supervisory Senior Agent in Charge doesn't say goodbye before hanging up his phone.

Gibbs smirked at the reaction between the two. "Penny," he greeted as he nodded to the older woman before facing her companions. "Ducky, Timothy."

"Jethro," Ducky pleasantly returned, smiling as he sipped his tea.

Tim looked around the room, noticing everyone's gaze on him, the newest arrival smirking at the situation. Rolling his eyes, Tim met his boss's amused gaze and replied, "Boss," giving an exaggerated wave in greeting.

Penny smiled at him before indicating to Gibbs that he could now answer her grandson's questions, knowing Tim was anxious to hear about the case.

Raising a single eyebrow, Gibbs informed them, "I'm not going to discuss the case."

"If it is because I am in the room, I assure you that I am the soul of discretion."

Gibbs shook his head, "No, I-"

"I was an Admiral's wife," Penny interrupted. "I assure you that I know when and how to keep secrets."

"I'm sure you do," Gibbs began, "But as I said, I'm not here to discuss the case."

"Then what are you doing here?" Penny asked, staring at Gibbs. "I thought the team was working today, did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened. And we are working," Gibbs admitted. "I just came to check on Tim and bring him home. Ducky said he should be released soon."

"He did, did he?" Penny replied, glaring at the older man who offered a sheepish smile in return.

"He asked to be kept in the loop," Ducky admitted.

"You are more than welcome to see Tim and check on him, but I can bring him home," she retorted.

"Penny, my building has no elevator," Tim reluctantly admitted. "I might need a little bit of help getting up all those flights of stairs."

Penny turned her glare to her grandson, "If you think I am going to bring you to _your_ home and leave you there alone, you are not as smart as everyone thinks you are." Turning to Gibbs, she added, "And I don't even want to know what you are thinking, encouraging such behavior."

"Penny, they wouldn't discharge me if I couldn't handle being home alone," Tim tried to reassure her.

"Actually," Ducky began, stopping when multiple eyes turned and glared at him. "I think I am going to try to track down that doctor," he offered instead, setting down his tea and leaving the room.

"I was thinking of bringing him back to my place," Gibbs informed Penny. "I had already discussed this with Tim."

Penny turned to glare at her grandson before turning back to his boss, "That may be true, but his family is more than willing and able to take care of him. He will return with me to my home while he recovers."

"You are more than welcome to come as well, my door is always open," Gibbs offered.

Tim sighed at the look on his grandmother's face at those words. He could only imagine what could happen next. Stealing a glance at his boss, he winced. He had a feeling that Gibbs wasn't about to give in either. Right now he really regretted the fact that he was trapped in this bed unable to escape. Hmm, sleep was always a possibility, and it had a few added benefits. If he was asleep, he wouldn't be required to take a side, plus if his visitors thought he was sleeping, they might not argue. With that thought in mind, Tim closed his eyes and leaned back against his pillows, trying to tune out the voices around him.

Tim couldn't help but tense up at some of the comments that were said, but he refused to comment on them since he was hoping that they would eventually realize how quiet he had gotten and believe that he was asleep. It was kind of funny, he silently mused. Both of them were critiquing the other for not being there for him, to help him either against his father or his coworkers. Of course, Tim thought, if he was stronger, they wouldn't think that. If he had stood up for himself, or made them see exactly what was going on…

* * *

Tim startled at the shouting and blinked his eyes as he took in the scene around him. Apparently while trying to tune Penny and Gibbs out and have them think he was sleeping, he really had fallen asleep. From the sounds and sights around him, his two companions hadn't reached a compromised.

His eyes widened in shock as he heard the direction their conversation had gone to. What had begun as a discussion of who was taking him home had escalated into a heated argument. Nervously, Tim eyed the door, hoping the nursing staff wasn't going to dismiss his ride home.

"He doesn't need you hovering, babying him," Gibbs informed Penny as she noticed Tim watching them and went to fluff his pillow.

"Oh, so first I didn't care and watch over him enough, and now I'm overdoing it," Penny snapped, making Tim wonder exactly what was said while he was sleeping. "And by the way, he doesn't need _you_ to guard or protect him," she replied, staring at the older man whose glance kept flitting between Tim and the doorway. "After all, you didn't do that good of a job in the first place or he wouldn't be here," she pointedly added, glaring at him.

Tim winced at her words and couldn't prevent his eyes from popping open as he stared at Gibbs, wondering how he took those words. Was it his imagination or was steam coming out of his boss's ears? "Guys, I'll be fine on my own. I don't need to stay with either one of you," he replied, causing both of them to turn to stare at him.

"I'm sure you would be," Gibbs finally admitted, earning a glare from Tim's grandmother. "But you don't have to be," he added softly. "And don't give me that crap about having a neighbor helping with Jethro and occasionally looking in on you. You have people that are closer to you who are willing to do that, to take care of you. Hell, you have family members _fighting_ to do so," he added.

Tim just stared at Gibbs, not sure how to respond.

Suspecting that the younger man had something he wanted to say, Gibbs turned to Penny, "Can we have a moment alone?" he softly asked.

She eyed him suspiciously before reluctantly agreeing when Tim didn't protest.

"Tim." Gibbs began once the older woman left. "It's not weakness to ask for help. No one will think less of you for allowing myself or your grandm-Penny," he corrected when Tim opened his mouth, "to help you."

"You don't," Tim said before he could stop himself.

Gibbs shrugged, "For a while I forgot what it was like to have a family that would _want_ to help me. You and the team have helped me remember that," he admitted. "And you did, have helped me," he reminded his young agent. "And I did ask," he stated before adding, "When I hurt my arm."

Tim smirked, "You ordered, you didn't ask," he corrected.

Gibbs grimaced at the truth of his young agent's words, "Wasn't sure you would help if I asked," he sheepishly admitted.

"Of course I would have," Tim snapped, insulted by that last comment. He would never leave somebody in the lurch like that. How would Gibbs even think he would do something like that. "Besides, you're like family and you were hurt. I would do whatever I could to help you, give you anything you needed," he added.

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow and stared at the injured man, "Tim,"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Point made," he reluctantly stated.

"Good," Gibbs nodded. "Now you just have to choose between staying at my place or your gran-Penny's."

Tim nodded, mentally compiling a list of the pro's and cons for each place. At Gibbs's place, Jethro, his dog, could join him. He hated to think that he was taking advantage of Sandy by leaving her with majority of the work regarding his dog. Especially since it might be a while before he could adequately take care of Jethro himself. Of course, if he went to Gibbs's, it was most likely that _everyone_ would stop by at one point or another in the next day or two. After all, Gibbs's door was always open. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that. Knowing the truth regarding his situation with Ziva, Gibbs would probably leave them time alone to talk if she stopped by. Of course, there was also the possibility of Abby dropping by. If Tim wasn't at his apartment, the Goth would no doubt try to find him there, or at least show up at Gibbs's place to complain about it. On the other hand, he might also get a chance to finally try one of those cowboy steaks he heard so much about. Plus there was the fact that he was fairly confident that Gibbs wouldn't hover around him or ask him how he was feeling every five minutes like he suspected Penny would. And after the last few days, Penny probably suspected that more was going on with the team than he shared. Once they were alone he had no doubts that the older woman would ask about that.

While Tim thought about it, Gibbs once more began talking, surprising the younger man again. "I made more mistakes with you than anyone else," he admitted. "You seemed so mature, responsible, despite your physical age. I never thought you had scars like the rest of us. I pictured you with your family, not perfect, no family is, but still, I thought they were there for you, that you were close to your father. That he was supportive and encouraging of you; the silent and invisible hand guiding and helping you. I didn't want you to think I didn't respect that or wanted to replace him. The last thing I wanted to do was interfere with someone's family, so I stayed away. I'm sorry."

Tim just nodded, not sure what else to say. Part of him now wanted to stay with Gibbs, hoping it would improve their relationship even more.

But would he just be a burden if he stayed at his boss's house? Tim was sure that it would be awkward being there alone when Gibbs went to work tomorrow. Would Penny be upset? She did cut short her trip because he was hurt. Would she leave town before they could spend any real time together? Would she be upset with him for wanting to spend time with Gibbs like that?

Gibbs watched the myriad of emotions cross the younger man's face, suspecting what he was thinking and feeling. He had no doubt that Tim could go back and forth on what he should do. He also suspected that Tim would think about what would be best for everyone involved, eventually making a decision that would be best for them, not necessarily for himself.

"Now, let's get you dressed and home with Penny," Gibbs stated decisively.

"Penny?" Tim repeated in surprise. After all, this all came about because Gibbs was arguing that Tim should stay with him tonight. Did he change him mind and no longer want Tim at his home?

"Hey," he called, breaking into Tim's thoughts, reading his expressions correctly. "You are _always_ welcomed at my house, but I figured maybe you should spend some time with Penny while she's here. Family's important and I'm not going anywhere. Maybe this weekend you can join me for a cowboy steak," he added, watching Tim carefully.

"I'd like that," Tim admitted with a smile as he slowly started getting dressed.

It wasn't long after that Penny and Ducky reentered the room. Ducky looked at the dressed Tim in shock. "Has the Doctor already been by?" he asked.

"No, not yet."

"Then why are you dressed? What if he doesn't release you?"

Tim shrugged, "Unless there is a pressing reason for me to stay, I am leaving the hospital today."

"Is that really a good idea, Timothy?" Ducky inquired, realizing that Tim meant to sign himself out AMA.

Penny just glared at Gibbs, suspecting that he was behind this rash decision.

"Yes," Tim stated firmly. "I have no doubt that I would have a better recovery surrounded by my own things and in Penny's home than I would here."

Penny was pleasantly surprised at that news and couldn't help but agree. "I am sure you are correct," she grinned triumphantly at Gibbs who just rolled his eyes in reply.

"Penny," Tim began, recapturing the older woman's attention, "Ducky and Gibbs will drive me to my place," he informed her, continuing when she opened her mouth to protest, "I will gather a few of my things, with their help, as well as make sure that Jethro is settled with Gibbs before one of them remits me to your care."

"Timothy, surely they can retrieve your belongings without you there," she protested.

Tim shrugged, "Maybe. Still, I would like to return to my home, even if it is only for a few minutes to check on things."

She sighed in resignation, knowing how stubborn her grandson could be.

* * *

"Tim!" Sandy exclaimed as she opened her door. "Are you okay? I heard that you were injured and I tried calling your phones, but didn't receive an answer. I even tried to call your boss a few times, but I never got a hold of him. I did hear from a couple of your coworkers, though," she added softly.

"Tony," Gibbs growled, drawing Sandy's attention to the man accompanying Tim.

"Oh, sorry," Tim began. "Sandy, this is my boss, Gibbs. Gibbs, this is Sandy, my neighbor and new dog walker."

Gibbs nodded, "Was it Tony DiNozzo that you talked to?"

"No," she replied, "I didn't talk to any of his male coworkers, why?"

Gibbs looked at Tim before answering, "I believe you met him the other day."

She frowned, "But I did meet an Anthony the Saturday before last on the apartment stairs."

"That was him," Gibbs admitted.

"Why?"

"He was spying on me and saw us together walking Jethro," Tim replied. "He's insatiably curious and since he has never met you, took the opportunity to do so."

"Oh," Sandy replied softly, looking back and forth between Tim and his boss. "I don't think I like your coworkers," she finally informed the duo, causing them to frown before asking her why.

After staring at them for a moment, she opened the door and invited them in, making them wonder exactly what she had to say.

* * *

4-21-19  
Hoppy Easter

Hope you guys are still with me.

OMG! I am so sorry this took so long. It was a bad end of winter. Since February, I seemed to get sick or was on medical restrictions (at one point, had to lie on stomach...really difficult to type; at another was sick with a temp of 102.7) every other week. Then when I was so happy winter was over and spring was here, my 91 yo grandmother broke her wrist. If that wasn't bad enough, she has dementia, so couldn't remember why she had this 'thing' on her arm and kept trying to cut it off. Within three weeks, was on her fourth cast! A lot of my time has been spent with taking care of her. Although I've been doing some writing, it's been longhand with my trying to find the time to type it later. Just this last week, while at my grandmothers, we've had 2 gas leaks and lost cable/wifi...it's been quite an adventure.

Anyway...thank you for those that have messaged asking me how I was, I apologize for not responding, I meant to, but got distracted by everything that has been going on.

As you can see, I'm back. It's a little rough...but I hope you like it.

There should only be one or two more chapters and the epilogue.

Feel free to review...I love hearing from you.


	90. Monday-Tuesday Mar 30-31 (J90)

Not Beta'd; Still not owned by me

* * *

Monday-Tuesday Mar 30-31

* * *

"What happened?" Penny asked Tim as he and Gibbs entered her home. One look at her grandson and she knew all was not well. "Did you fall? Reinjure your arm?" she asked before angrily turning to Gibbs and glaring. "You have my number; you should have taken him directly to the hospital. I would've met you there," she snapped as she reached for her coat. "Come on, let's go."

"Penny, I'm fine," Tim protested. "I didn't fall or hurt myself. I just learned something upsetting," he informed her.

His grandmother stared at him expectantly.

Tim shook his head, "Not now."

"Very well," Penny nodded her agreement to drop the subject. "Let's get you settled. I have you in your old room, unless you think it would be better to be on the ground floor?"

"I'll be fine there," Tim reassured her continuing up the stairs, and noticing the looks the other two gave him. "What? I will be. If I was shot or stabbed in the leg things might be different," he explained, stubbornly refusing to change his mind.

"Let's go," Gibbs stated, carrying Tim's bags and heading up the stairs.

A half hour later, Penny and Gibbs found themselves alone in the kitchen, while Tim rested.

"I know you have a rule against it," she began, "And I know you're not the type of man to hold what I said against Timothy, but I apologize for some of the things I said earlier."

"Just some?" Gibbs commented.

"Yes," Penny returned unapologetically.

Gibbs smirked, "I apologize as well," at Penny's surprised look he continued, "As I recently informed my team, Rule 6 doesn't apply to family and friends."

Penny nodded in understanding before continuing. "I was out of line. Angry, worried about what was going on with Tim. When I saw him a month ago, he was happier than he had been at Christmas. Some of it was an optimistic attitude about things being different at work," she shared, "but I suspect most of it was due to the date he had the night before, with Peggy."

"Peggy?" Gibbs repeated in shock.

Penny rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in exasperation. "How come no one knows or remembers the name of Tim's girlfriend?" she muttered causing Gibbs to hide a smirk at her words. "From the stories Tim has told me about the team, you guys seemed more like family than coworkers. I was happy about that. Happy that he had found people in his life that cared for him, that would look out for him. After meeting all of you at the hospital yesterday," she paused and shook her head, "I'm beginning to suspect that his work family mirrors the family Tim had while he was growing up more than I would like," she sadly concluded.

Gibbs glared into his coffee cup at those words, given what he had recently learned about Tim's parents that could only be taken as an insult. He also bit his tongue, both figuratively and literally. It would not be a good thing to drag the team dynamics into this conversation, especially since Tim was not present. Then there was the fact that she was correct and he did not want to talk about how often he had messed things up with her grandson.

"I know something happened, something that he is greatly bothered by. And with how everyone has been acting around Tim, I suspect some of it involves his team," she continued, staring at Gibbs.

"Not my place," Gibbs replied coolly, sipping his coffee.

Peggy rolled her eyes, "If not you, then who? I just told you that he thought of all of you like family."

Gibbs slowly took another sip of his coffee, not speaking.

"He looks upon you as a father figure, you know."

"I know…now," came the serious reply, recognizing that this topic was most likely inevitable. "I also know Tim likes to keep things private and won't easily forgive or forget those that spoke out of turn. As I said before, my door is always open; He knows I am available to talk about anything, anytime. I will talk with _him_ about what happened if he wants, but I will not speak of things that pertain to him without his permission. My relationship with him has improved a lot this last month; I'm not about to risk damaging it by talking about things he may not wish you to know."

Penny gave him a scrutinizing look, "That was why you were so insistent he go home with you," she observed, "To make sure he knew that you did care and would be there for him like you had been for the others," Gibbs inclined his head in agreement. "I thank you for backing off and letting him come home with me."

"You came all this way to see him the moment you heard about his injury," Gibbs explained before softy adding, "You are his family."

Penny simply nodded at his words, "I will discuss the other issues with Timothy."

"Don't push," he warned.

Penny smiled, "I know my grandson. And I am glad to see that you do as well."

"I might not completely understand him, definitely don't when he starts talking about computers and tech," Gibbs admitted, "But even before things changed, I did know him. And I can now say that I know and understand him better. If he dec-" Gibbs broke off that train of thought, not wanting to open another can of worms. "I will be the person he needs me to be, both on and off the field," he promised.

Penny looked at him, curious about what he had been about to say, but suspecting that no amount of prying would get her an answer. After a few more moments, she simply said, "You are his family as well."

Gibbs raised his coffee cup in a salute in reply before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Now, tell me more about these Rules," Penny stated. "I am most curious about Rule 6 and how that came about."

"I take it you don't agree with it?"

She shrugged, "If it's been amended like you suggested…"

* * *

"Gibbs," Ziva said in surprise when the older man returned to the bullpen much earlier than anticipated. "How is Tim? Is he all settled in at your place? You did not leave him alone, did you?"

Tony laughed, "Like Gibbs would trust McGee alone in his house," he commented.

Gibbs smirked, "Much more than I would trust you," he stated dryly.

Tony gave a mock wounded expression.

Ziva rolled her eyes at that. "Like it matters for that reason," she objected, "His door is always unlocked, anyone could be there alone at any time," she pointed out to Tony before turning back to Gibbs. "Will you please answer my questions? How is Tim? Who is with him? And would you mind if I stop by your place later?"

"Ooohh, me too, me too," Tony called waving his hand in the air;

"He's fine," Gibbs reassured her, ignoring his senior agent's antics. "You are more than welcome to stop by anytime, as you stated, my door is unlocked. However, Tim is not there."

Ziva stood up from her chair, leaned on her desk and glared at the older man, "You let him go home _alone_?" She angrily hissed.

Tony looked between his teammates wondering if he had any popcorn stashed in his desk to eat during this showdown. There was no way Gibbs was going to let Ziva talk to him like that. He still didn't know why Ziva was being so protective of Tim, but suspected that it was probably misplaced guilt that she hadn't been able to stop the attack before Tim got stabbed.

"He's not alone," Gibbs began, only to be cut off by Tony's cheer.

"Ha!" He gleefully cried as stood and walked around his desk to casually lean against the front of it. "Bet Sandy's with him. He probably couldn't wait to let her play nurse," he teased. "Hmm, I wonder if he has the guts to ask her to dress the part?" he softly added, mostly to himself.

At the mention of the dog walker's name, Gibbs frowned. Seeing this, Tony questioned, "What? You didn't like her? I assume you met her and didn't leave Probie completely alone. She seemed nice enough, even if her ex does have bit of a record," he concluded.

Gibbs stalked to Tony, until their faces were mere inches apart an asked, "You do a deep investigation into her? Background? Financials? Family?"

"What? No!" Tony denied. "I wouldn't." At the look the other two gave him, he added, "Not without a valid reason and definitely not after the conversation we had last week. And if I thought something was wrong and it needed to be done, I would've talked to you or Vance about it first."

"Then how do you know about the ex?" Gibbs challenged.

"I did a google search," he admitted. "Nothing that anyone else with a computer and access to the internet couldn't have done or find," he added.

Gibbs eyed him, "And that's all you did?"

"Scout's honor," Tony replied seriously.

Gibbs searches his face once more before nodding. "Okay."

"Where is Tim?" Ziva asked, curious about why he was asking those questions about the dog walker, but more concerned about Tim. "And who's with him?"

"Don't worry," Gibbs reassured her. "He's in good hands, he's with family."

Meeting his gaze, Ziva nodded and relaxed.

"Ah," Tony muttered, figuring it out, "I assume you mean the first name grandmother and not the irresponsible, college age younger sister," he concluded, not receiving a confirmation, but sure that he was correct.

"Preston might be here soon," Gibbs abruptly informed the team. "I need an update on what you got before I interview him."

Ziva and Tony scrambled for their notes of what they had recently learned.

* * *

"Timothy, what is going on?" Penny asked Monday morning after her grandson joined her in the kitchen for breakfast.

"Nothing," he denied.

"I know you better than that. You're always thinking and I can tell it is something important to you due to that continuous frown on your brow."

Tim fell silent for a few moments. "A couple of things," he finally said before deciding to confess about his supposed relationship with Ziva and how he wonders if it could be real.

"Do you care for her?"

"More than I thought possible," he admitted softly.

"Do you like who you are when you're with her? Does she make you a better person?" Penny inquired.

"Yes and I think so," Tim answered respectively.

"Why her?" Penny asked, holding up a hand when Tim scowled, "Nothing against Ziva," she explained, "I'm just asking you, who knows her much better than I do, why you think she might be the one."

Tim nodded, realizing that she didn't intend to insult Ziva with her comment. He went silent for a few minutes, as he thought about what to say, knowing he wouldn't be able to express what she has come to mean to him and why, but determined to try. "We have similar tastes. Both of us enjoy going out, but also appreciate a nice quiet night in, whether we cook or have carry out; watch a movie, read, write, or listen to music. She is determined and stubborn, but flexible and sensitive to what others need and want; she is bold and decisive but doesn't insult others to make her point; she is strong, confident, but cutting other people down to make her look that way isn't her style. She is caring an giving. She truly listens when I talk, tries to understand, builds me up instead of tearing me down. Because of that, I feel like I can tell her anything and I have. I…I told her about dad," Tim admitted softly. "The car and envelope, school, growing up, everything."

"And not too bad to look at either," Penny adding, winking at Tim who blushed as if on cue.

Not responding to that comment, Tim continued, "She knows my faults and cares for me in spite of them. She pushes me to be, to _do_ better, but also allows me space to make mistakes and to learn things on my own. She…she's just everything I imagined an more. These past two months have been the happiest I ever remember being while in a relationship and considering it isn't a real relationship," Tim trailed off. "Well, it makes me wonder how much better everything could be."

Penny smiled. "She sounds really special and it explains why she was so annoyed at my presence at the hospital Saturday night. She kept eyeing you and the bed like she wanted to crawl in there with you," she explained.

Tim blushed, "We're not…we haven't…we wouldn't," Tim stumbled over the words.

"Well, I hoped you wouldn't, at least not in the hospital and while you are still recovering," Penny teased. "Sometimes when someone you lo-care about is injured, you just want to be close to them, to remind yourself that they are okay."

"Right," Tim nodded, glad that topic was closed.

"That being said," Penny continued, sipping her coffee, "There is nothing wrong with enjoying sexual relations with someone you care about."

Tim slammed down his cup as he started coughing from her words, Penny looking on with a grin at his reaction.

Tim had just recovered and had lifted up his cup to his mouth when Penny began a new topic of conversation.

"Gibbs and I had an interesting talk yesterday," Penny began causing Tim to once more lower his cup, though this time in a more controlled manner.

"Glad I hadn't already taken another sip," he joked before pushing the cup away from him, "I don't think I'll be picking that up again until I'm alone in the room."

His grandmother just looked at him before continuing, "We talked about his rules. I believe I heard most of them."

"Really?" he asked, hesitating a moment before asking, "Did he talk about Rule 17 or 19?"

Penny went silent as she thought back to that conversation with her grandson's boss. "No, he would not share those two. Why?"

Tim shrugged, now even more curious about those two rules. "We have rules 1-16, 18, and 20. Rules 17 and 19 have never come up, not even Tony or Stan, who worked with Gibbs before Tony know what they are. Mike Franks who recruited Gibbs just walked away when Tony asked him about them. That makes me really curious about them."

"I can see why," Penny acknowledged. They must be really incredible if they are so closely guarded. She took another skip of coffee before continuing, "If I remember correctly, you have two rule number 1 and 3, doesn't that get confusing?"

"Yep, it can." Tim confirmed. When a few moments passed and his grandmother didn't say anything else, Tim tried to take advantage of the lull, "If that is all," he said as he started to push his chair back.

"You know it is not," Penny replied, remaining silent until Tim stopped moving. "We started off talking about Rule 6, and eventually covered most of the top 20. There were a few he wouldn't talk about."

"17 and 19," Tim muttered.

"And 12," Penny added, surprising Tim.

"Oh," Tim uttered in relief.

"Though I did get him to share that."

"Oh," he repeated.

Penny nodded knowingly. "I know how he feels about coworkers dating and I know how much you try to respect the rules of others, whether you agree with them or not," she added. "What you have to decide is this: is she more important than your job? You've wanted to be an NCIS field agent for a long time. You've worked hard to get where you are. Are you willing to walk away from that for her?"

Tim remained silent, absently fiddling with his coffee cup, but not daring to pick it up.

"Have you told her how you feel? Does she return your feelings?" Penny asked, breaking the silence that had controlled the room for over five minutes. She didn't need an answer to her question, in her eyes it was rather obvious what Tim would do for a chance at a real relationship with Ziva. The major problem would be getting that relationship started. She knew her grandson and was sure that he would keep the status quo, waiting for her to make the first move. Unfortunately, that is often a reason why relationships never progress.

"I don't know how she feels," Tim admitted.

"Then the answer to my first question is no," she concluded. "If you told her how you felt, you would have an indication of her feelings based on her response. She would either smother you in kisses, drag you off to bed, " Tim blushed at the thought of those two reactions, "Yell at you for taking so long to say something, walk away, say thank you," Penny added dryly, "Or ask for time to think about it. So my next question to you is are you going to say something and why haven't you already?"

Tim shrugged, refusing to meet her gaze, "What can I say, I'm a coward, just like the Admiral says."

"Timothy McGee, you are not a coward," she scolded. "You might be a little fearful, but who isn't when it comes to matters of the heart," she counseled. "Isn't it best to know? You do not want to play 'what if' the rest of your life," she pointed out before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Once again, you have a decision to make. Is she more important to you than your pride? Are you willing to lay down how you feel to see if she feels the same?"

"I…" Tim hesitated before clearing throat.

"I'll leave you alone to think about that and to drink your coffee," her voice filled with amusement as she added the last part of her final statement.

* * *

"Have you talked to Penny?" Ziva asked Monday when Tony was out grabbing lunch for the three of them. Preston had some interesting tales to tell them last night. Enough info that it kept them at the office all night while they followed up on it. "Have you heard anything regarding Tim?" She had the strangest feeling that something monumental had happened and was anxious for news regarding him. She wasn't sure if this feeling was connected to Tim's health, the situation between them, or what ha been going on with the team, either way, she really wanted information.

Gibbs shrugged, "Don't know, haven't heard anything," he replied, not looking at her. Feeling her gaze turned glare drilling into him, he finally lifted his head from his desk, "No news is good news," he offered. "I asked her to call me if something happened."

She continued looking at him. He just looked back, neither one giving in.

"I do not have Penny's number."

"You have Tim's," Gibbs pointed out. "Perhaps it is best to go directly to the source."

Her glare intensified. "If I talk to Timothy directly, it will not be about his injury and it would probably not be a quick conversation," she threatened, meeting his eyes so he could gauge the truth of her words. "Plus, last Monday you forbade us to contact him until everything was settled," she reminded him.

Several more minutes of silence passed before Gibbs reluctantly nodded and walked away.

* * *

"Timothy is doing very well," Ducky informed the team Tuesday morning. He had finagled a dinner invitation at Penny's house the night before on the premise of checking on Tim's injuries. He was grateful that Gibbs asked him to get more information but even happier that he had the opportunity to learn more about the young agent's grandmother. "Surprisingly he is in fine spirits," he continued.

Ziva frowned, "Did you not expect him to be?"

Ducky turned to meet her gaze, "I believe we all know Timothy well enough to know that he often takes things to heart, blames himself when things go wrong. With all that has happened the last few months, in both his personal life and his professional one, I would not have been surprised if he was feeling anxious or even depressed," he shared. "Instead he was calm, relaxed, and at peace, dare I say, _happy_."

"Why do you think that is?" Tony asked for future reference. Anything that could be used to help McGee relax or not blame himself would be great, he often thought Tim took things/life too seriously and would end up getting treated for an ulcer before he left his thirty's. "She's not still giving him those meds, is she?"

"Timothy is not on drugs," the ME assured them before giving a shrug and responding to the first question. "He did not say anything to me; however, from what Penny shared the two of them have had a couple of talks that got Tim thinking. Perhaps it helped just talking to someone who wasn't involved in all that had happened here; someone Timothy knew loved him and had _his_ best interests at heart," he shared.

Tony opened his mouth but quickly closed it when both Gibbs and Ziva glared at him.

"I believe that he might be close to making a few decisions, again, regarding both his personal life and his career," Ducky added.

'Personal life,' Tony mouthed wondering exactly what was going on. Was that the reason why Tim wasn't at his own place being cared for by Sandy? Was that why Gibbs was asking questions about a background check being run on her? Hearing Ducky speak once more, Tony turned his ears and mind to the older man.

"I have no doubt that the time away from these orange walls have served him well. Perhaps it is something he needs to do more of in the future," Ducky commented, turning to head back to autopsy and missing the concerned and horrified looks Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs exchanged at his words.

* * *

4-27-19

Just another chapter and epilogue to go.

So what do you think Rules 17 & 19 are? Any suggestions for the topic of the rules or why they have never come up?

FYI-Sandy was the one who called Tim's phone and was the unknown caller that Ziva did not answer.

Speaking of Sandy, (forgot to ask this last chapter), who contacted her, what did she say to Gibbs & Tim, and why was Gibbs asking Tony about background checks?

Would love to hear what you guys are thinking...


	91. Wednesday, April 1 (part I) (J91)

Yeah, it's been awhile...more on that at the end of the chapter. I will add that I delayed posting because I said the next chapter would be the completion of the story, well, it's not. It's the beginning of the completion...one more chapter to 'finish' the story and then the epilogue (which might be part of that chapter, not sure yet.) But since I haven't posted in a while and this was 6k words, I decided to go ahead and get it up.

Not Beta'd; I do not own.

* * *

Wednesday, April 1 (part I) (J91)

* * *

Tim spent the rest of that day and the next thinking about his conversations with Penny. After he recovered from Penny's comment, he also talked to her about everything else that was going on at work.

Penny had made him realize what really mattered to him, what he wanted from life, what was truly important, and what he was willing to give up to get it. Because of her input, he had made a few decisions regarding his future. With that done a determined Timothy headed into work Wednesday morning. Being the first to arrive, he quickly powered up his computer and began finishing the documents he started at Penny's and had sent to his work email.

A half hour later Tony entered the bullpen whistling, surprisingly in a good mood considering he, Ziva, and Gibbs had been working non-stop since Sunday night and he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. He had lain in bed wondering if they would hear from their missing teammate soon. The doctor had mentioned the possibility of Tim being cleared for desk duty as early as today and except for Ducky, no one had seen or talked to him since the day he left the hospital.

It had been a long ten days since Tim had found out about the 'investigating' he and Abby had done and he knew the worst wasn't over since they still had to meet with Vance and face the consequences of his actions. As apprehensive as Tony was about that meeting and how things would change because of it and his actions, knowing that Tim was going to be okay and that the person who attacked him was caught went a long way in helping Tony deal with the situation. Tony knew that he would not be able to live with himself if Tim had not survived his encounter with Presley and that the last thing Tim thought about Tony was how he completely invaded his privacy and pried into his life.

As it was, Tony didn't think he would ever forget the look on Tim's face when Ziva's words finally registered, and it was that look that had kept him awake most nights. Tony was just relieved that Tim was talking to him and seemingly giving him a chance to change.

"Probie," Tony uttered in surprise as he saw Tim sitting at his desk, pale, but definitely looking better than he had the last time Tony had seen the injured man. "Tim," he stated slightly louder as he stepped closer to the younger agent, "Good to see you."

Tim just inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"You cleared for desk duty?" Tony eagerly asked.

Tim's hands paused over his keyboard before he pressed a few keys and setting the printer in motion. Retrieving his document, he then returned to his desk, folded it, and placed it in an envelope before laying it next to another sealed envelope that leaned against the top of his keyboard. "I need to meet with a few people and turn in some paperwork," he explained.

"Right," Tony nodded, "Need to turn in that pesky paperwork first," he commented, scrutinizing Tim and waiting for his response. Tony frowned slightly when Tim didn't comment and continued avoiding his eyes. He hoped Tim wasn't going to fall on his sword to avoid making a decision. As he debated whether or not to say something else, Ziva entered the bullpen, ending that opportunity.

"Good morning, Tony," she greeted noticing the SFA standing by his desk. As she turned the corner, her eyes widened and her steps faltered when she caught her first glimpse of Tim in three days. "Tim," she breathlessly whispered, unable to stop herself from uttering his name and automatically taking a step towards him before freezing. Holding her body taut, she struggled not to run up to Tim and embrace him, her eyes firmly fixed on him.

"Ziva," Tim returned, staring back at her.

"You are looking well," she stated, forcing her eyes away and continuing her journey to her desk.

"You as well," Tim responded, not able to take his eyes off of her.

Tony snorted and rolled his eyes, "When doesn't Ziva look well?" He rhetorically asked, part of him curious about the weird vibes he was picking up between his two coworkers.

"When she's not working," Gibbs supplied as he entered the bullpen and headed to his desk, his gaze focused on the papers in his hands.

"Right," Ziva replied, taking the hint and settling in at her desk. Tony just looked between the bullpen's occupants in disbelief, waiting for Gibbs to comment on Tim's presence.

"I believe the two of you have case reports to complete," he continued as he sat down, still not looking at his agents.

"Two?" Tony inquired with a smirk, focusing his gaze on Tim.

"Yes, two," Gibbs snapped, looking up to glare at Tony, "Unless by some miracle you have comple-" He stopped mid word as he followed the path of Tony's eyes. "Tim," he said in surprise, finally noticing the younger man.

"Gibbs," Tim greeted, trying to hide his smile at the fact that the older man hadn't been aware of his presence before now.

"Are you cleared for desk work?" he asked, looking down at his desk for the proper paperwork.

Tim didn't answer but just fingered the envelopes, contemplating if he wanted to do this right now.

"Tim?" Gibbs asked when the younger man didn't meet his eyes, his voice filled with concern.

Taking a deep breath, and making sure not to look at Tony or Ziva, Tim stood and approached Gibbs' desk. "Will you join me in conference room 3? I need to speak to you privately."

No longer able to pretend that they weren't watching and listening, both of his coworkers' heads snapped up as they stared at him.

Gibbs' eyes briefly strayed in Ziva's direction before meeting Tim's, "Alone?"

"Yes, si- yes…" Tim replied, his voice trailing off.

Nodding, Gibbs stood and once more, led the way. The other members of the MCRT staring after them.

* * *

"You sure you want to talk now?" Gibbs asked as he and Tim headed towards the conference room.

"Yes," Tim replied, "Before I change my mind."

Gibbs stopped and turned to face his companion, placing a hand on his arm, "Tim, if you need more time…"

"I don't," Tim reassured the older man. "I'm just afraid I might lose my nerve and take the easy way out," he admitted.

"I wouldn't let you do that," Gibbs promised, as he opened the door to the conference room and ushered Tim in, "Not without making sure that it was what _you_ wanted."

Tim just gave a faint smile in reply not bothering to correct the misconception but taking comfort in the fact that Gibbs apparently had his back even off the field.

The two stood in the conference room, neither one of them making a move to sit down. Tim fingered the envelopes in his hands while Gibbs just watched.

"Whatcha got there?" Gibbs finally asked, breaking the silence and hoping to kickstart this conversation.

"Good question," Tim replied, still looking at the envelopes before slowly holding them both out for Gibbs to take.

With a lift of an eyebrow, Gibbs accepted them and chose one to open, withdrawing the single sheet of paper. A cursory glance at it revealed that it was Tim's letter of resignation. "Tim…"

"Read 'em," Tim instructed, waiting while Gibbs read the contents of the first envelope.

"I can't accept this," the older man stated after he complied with Tim's request. "I don't think this is really what you want. I know that your coworkers put you in a tough spot, but _you_ shouldn't have to restart your career because of their actions. Let them face up to what they did."

Tim shook his head, "I can't lose-"

"If they were true friends they wouldn't hold it against you," Gibbs protested angrily. "DiNozzo knows that, it's why he went to Vance himself, so that you wouldn't feel so trapped."

"I know, but-"

"Abby." Gibbs completed, shaking his head as he suspected what Tim was going to say. "I definitely didn't do her any favors by always coming to her rescue. She isn't the same Abby I grew to know and love," he tried to explain. "I can't imagine the Abby I first met doing what she has done. I'm not making any excuses for her," he continued, "But if she really _is_ your friend, she would understand."

Tim shook his head.

"Yes, she would, Tim," Gibbs emphatically repeated.

"It's not that," Tim tried to explain. "My resignation has nothing to do with the situation or actions of Abby and Tony. Besides, Sandy has already filed charges against Abby," he informed the older man.

"Good," Gibbs nodded his approval at that action before trying to once more change his agent's mind about leaving, "Tim-"

"Open the second envelope," he instructed, preventing Gibbs from continuing.

Gibbs just stared at him a moment before placing the first envelope and its contents on the table and opening the second envelope and withdrawing a couple of pages which he quickly read, a puzzled expression on his face. After reading through them a third time, he lifted his eyes to Tim's. "I don't get it."

Tim gave a small smile, "It's the form clearing me for desk duty an-"

"And the paperwork listing Penny as your emergency contact," Gibbs interrupted. "Yeah, I realized that when I read it. What I don't get is why you are turning it in if you've also submitted your resignation?"

"Look at the dates," Tim advised.

With a glare, Gibbs looked at all the papers again. "Your approval to return to desk duty is for today, Penny is listed as an emergency contact as of Sunday night, and your resignation doesn't have a date on it."

Tim nodded.

"Tim, what is this about?" a confused Gibbs asked as he glanced at all the papers laid out on the conference table.

"Ziva," Tim answered firmly. "When I was talking about what I couldn't lose, I was talking about her. I don't want to break rule 12, but I won't- _can't_ -give her up. If she agrees to date me, I will put the date on my resignation, making the other envelope superfluous."

"And if I said I won't accept it?" Gibbs asked.

"It won't matter," Tim replied firmly. "She's come to mean a lot to me, even more than a job that I've dreamed of my entire life. I've enjoyed working with you, being a part of this team, the MCRT, more so the last two months," he softly admitted. "And part of me would love to see how things change and continue the next two months, two years even," he informed Gibbs, "But I love Ziva more. Love the possibility of what we could have more than anything and everything else in my life and I need to take a chance on that. If she doesn't want to make our relationship real, if she doesn't feel the same, I will rescind my resignation and do everything I can to keep my feelings out of the office. I hope that I can stay part of the team, part of her life as a friend, but I know that it could be much harder than I imagine it would be and am willing to leave if it interferes with how the team operates."

Meeting Gibbs's gaze, Tim continued, "I've always cared for her; I cherished the friendship we had when she first started and I'm glad we were able to renew that. And now I'm thinking, _hoping_ that we can be much more than friends," he shared. "I never imagined that someone could fall in love so quickly, without even really realizing it was happening," he said with a laugh. "But you can. I can only hope that she feels at least a bit of what I do and agrees to pursue it." As he finished, Tim turned his head in the direction of the bullpen as if by saying those words he would see her and know how she felt. By doing so, he missed the knowing smirk his words had triggered on Gibbs's face.

"I've learned a lot about her these last two months and even more about myself. I've been happier with her in my life. I know that our relationship started as a pretense, as a joke, but how I feel about her is nothing to laugh about. She…" Tim pauses as he searches for the right words to explain what he thinks and feels. "One thing I learned is that I do matter. That I can go after what I want and what I need and that's Ziva."

The entire time Tim was talking, Gibbs hadn't said a word, hadn't even attempted to speak. Truthfully, it had made Tim more than a little uncomfortable, but he knew he had to at least try to explain to Gibbs what he was thinking and feeling. Tim knew that there was much more to say, but he honestly didn't think it would help, there was also the fact that a lot of it should be said to Ziva before he told anyone else.

"Tim, you don't have to do this," Gibbs finally said, waving Tim's notice of resignation.

"I won't stop seeing her unless that's what she wants," Tim stressed. "I won't walk away from her, from _us_ and if that means walking away from this job," he paused and gave a shrug, "So be it. When I talk to her about us, I want her to know that I am serious. That this isn't just a fling. That I thought about all that a relationship between us entails."

Gibbs gave Tim a sad smile, "I know and I get it,"

Tim nodded, relieved that this part of the conversation was concluded and that they could now discuss other matters. "Good. We can meet with Vance then with Tony, Abby, and Ziva to finally settle the issue regarding privacy. After that is done," he paused and took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he thought about the next step, "Ziva and I will talk. I will let you know if I will be adding a date to that resignation today or if you need to hold onto it for a few more days."

Gibbs shook his head, "Not happening," he said as he ripped the page containing Tim's notice in half before placing both pieces of paper side by side on the table.

Tim blinked, what did Gibbs hope to accomplish by doing that? "I can just print another." When Gibbs opened his mouth to speak, Tim continued, "And yes, I know you can tear that one up as well, but it won't matter. I'll submit it to HR or Vance if I need to."

"Tim,"

"And yeah, I know I could stay with NCIS and ask for a transfer to another team, but it wouldn't be the same. I've had a couple of job offers, I'll be fine," he hastened to reassure the older man.

Gibbs just ignored his words. "I told you, Tim, I'm not accepting it. It doesn't matter how many times you print it or who you submit it to. This isn't what you want. This isn't what any of us want."

"Boss, I swear, this isn't me taking the easy way out," Tim tried to reason with the older man. "The easy way out would be to ignore everything that had happened between myself and Ziva; to forget about this 'prank' that we started. I can't do that," Tim softly admitted. "I know that there is a possibility that it won't work out. That I could lose everything, the girl and the job, but this is something I have to do, something I- _we_ -have to try, otherwise I will always wonder what could have been. Gibbs, I don't want any regrets," he share.

Gibbs nodded in understanding. "I know," he agreed. "But I'm still not letting you do this," he said, waving to the pages he had placed on the table.

"Gibbs, I have a real chance at happiness here,"

"Yes, you do," Gibbs agreed. " _Right_ here. At the Navy Yard, as part of my team, part of the MCRT."

"Ye-No, with Ziva," Tim corrected.

"Yeah, with her here too," Gibbs smirked.

"Gibbs," Tim repeated, his voice pleading, "I can't-"

"And I'm not asking you to, Tim," Gibbs replied, stepping closer to Tim and once more placing a hand on his arm. "I know you would leave the team so you wouldn't be breaking my rules; that you would give it all up for her. And I have no doubt that she would say and do the same."

"You don't know that," Tim argued. After all, even he wasn't sure what Ziva would do, why would Gibbs think that he knew what she thought or felt? "And I have no right to ask her to do that. Plus there's the fact that she's here as a liaison to Mossad. If she leaves NCIS, she might have to leave the country. I won't let that happen," Tim firmly stated. "I have to be the one who leaves if we want to pursue this relationship."

Gibbs inclined his head. "You don't need to leave," he informed Tim, continuing when Tim opened his mouth to protest, "And you don't have to stop dating Ziva either. I'm sure we can come up with loopholes for Rule 12. After all, it was about dating coworkers, nothing was said about falling in love with them."

Tim raised an eyebrow, "Kinda thin, isn't it?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Well then, we can say you two got special dispensation regarding that rule. Hell, if you really need it, I'll just tell everyone that I approve."

Tim blinked in surprise as he was struck speechless for a few moments. "Do you? Approve of me and Ziva, that is?"

Gibbs smirked at him, "Yep. In fact, I suspected all along that this is how your little prank would end."

"Really?" An incredulous Tim asked.

"Well," the SSAIC slowly admitted, "Maybe not exactly like this," he clarified, looking at Tim's arm still in the sling and the papers on the conference table. "But the joke ending up being on you and Ziva? The two of you together as a couple? Yeah," the last word was stated strongly, firmly, convincing Tim that Gibbs really had predicted this outcome.

Tim stared open mouth in shock, finally speaking when he regained control of his faculties. "And you didn't try to stop it?"

Gibbs shrugged, "I think it was inevitable. I'm just glad it happened before one of you did something stupid."

"Like what? Never mind," Tim rushed to add, deciding he really didn't want to know. "So we really have your support? Your approval?" he questioned again, "Um, that is, if Ziva agrees."

"You do," Gibbs confirmed.

"Good," Tim sighed in relief. Now he just had to talk with Ziva. "Um, speaking of the prank, well, with everything that's happened, well, I think it would be best that we just pretend it never existed."

Gibbs nodded in understanding, "Yeah, even with today's date, it's not a good idea to play pranks on your coworkers given all that has happened recently."

Tim nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

Gibbs nodded. "Now, are you going to tell me what you had in mind regarding that situation or do you have more envelopes for me regarding that as well?"

Tim smiled and waved his empty hands, "No more envelopes," he promised.

* * *

A few minutes after they left, Tony jumped up and watched as they paused in the hallway before entering the conference room. As soon as that door shut, he turned to Ziva, "What the hell was that?"

"I do not know," a worried Ziva admitted.

Tony frowned, "I think Ducky's right and that Tim made his decision and he's finally willing to share it," he announced.

Ziva just looked down the hallway where Tim and Gibbs had walked. She too believed that many decisions had been made, but unlike Tony she was much more invested in them and had wished that Tim had talked with her before meeting with Gibbs.

As if reading her mind, Tony said, "I know Gibbs said to let him make the decision on his own, I just hope he isn't talking the easy way out and leaving so he won't have to make that decision."

Ziva turned and glared at him, "He is not a coward," she snapped. Angry not just at Tony's words, but at the idea that they could be true.

"Hey, I know that," Tony snapped in reply. "But he _is_ a peacekeeper. He doesn't like conflict and wouldn't want to hurt anyone. If he was thought one of the decisions would hurt us, personally or professionally," Tony added, "He would try to find a way to keep from doing that." Ziva nodded her apologies and her agreement to his words.

"You don't think he's really had enough of us, do you?" A worried Tony continued, as this thought hit him. Maybe Tim wasn't leaving to protect them, but _because_ of them. "What if he blames us for his injury? Or that he really thinks we don't care?"

"I do not know," Ziva repeated, continually casting looks down the hall.

"Something definitely isn't right," Tony stated, also looking towards the hallway where McGee disappeared. "He started to call Gibbs _sir_ instead of boss," he added.

"Yes" Ziva worried her bottom lip. "In fact, he pointedly did not refer to Gibbs as boss at all," she shared the thought that began plaguing her. Had Tim made his decision? Was he going to give his notice or ask for a transfer? Maybe Tim was talking to Gibbs about them? She felt this last option was unlikely since he hadn't talked to her in the last few days and when they had talked, someone else had been present so nothing was said about their relationship.

"Which could mean in his mind, Gibbs is not longer his boss," Tony concluded, as he wondered if one of those envelopes might have contained Tim's resignation.

While Tony continued to contemplate that thought, his phone rang. Automatically, his hand reached out to answer without bothering to look at the caller information. "DiNozzo…Abby," he began only to pull the receiver away from his ear and grimacing. "Abby! I can't listen to you when you're screeching like that. Calm down or I'm gonna hang up," he warned. He had barely spoken to Abby since that day in the hospital, luckily, most of the forensics for their case were either already done or worked on by the FBI.

Ziva grimaced, even from her desk, she could hear Abby's voice, not enough to make out all the words, but she was fairly confident that she heard Abby say 'Timmy' a few times.

"Thank you," he said a few minutes later, placing the phone closer to his ear. "Now, why did you call?" he asked, his mind still focusing on the situation with Tim. "Yes, I know that Tim could possibly be back today," he replied, rolling his eyes. "No, I didn't see his car in the parking lot…no, I haven't _heard_ anything," he replied, smirking at Ziva. With a sigh, he continued, "No, security did not tell me that he entered-… Yeah, I know, he's here," Tony reluctantly admitted after Abby had cut off his earlier statement to share what she knew. "Because I saw him, that's how…he was sitting at his desk," he explained, shaking his head when Ziva glared at him. "No, Abby, don't come up," he said firmly, hoping she would listen for a change. "He's not here…Yeah, he really is in…No, I'm not lying or setting you up for an April Fool's Day joke….Why would he say something about his desk?" Tony asked, looking at Tim's desk that looked exactly the same as when he left last week. Frowning, and remembering Abby's reference that today _was_ April Fool's Day. After putting the call on mute and placing the receiver on his desk, he got up and tentatively looked at Tim's desk.

"Tony!" Ziva hissed, glaring at him as he quickly opened and shut each drawer, sat in Tim's chair and turned on the computer. "You better not be setting up some type of prank on Tim, he's still recovering from his injuries."

"Yes, Abby, I am looking at his desk," he said before temporary muting his phone. Turning to Ziva, he informed her, "I wouldn't prank a down Probie," he informed his coworker as he continued to test McGee's chair, desk, and chair for booby traps.

"That is exactly what you would do," she argued. When Tony didn't reply but continued with his search, she asked, "Do I need to remind you about privacy and respecting your co-workers belongings?" glaring at him when he began rifling through the drawers.

Tony just waved his hand dismissing her. "Hey, I'm trying to protect him here. Honest," he vowed when she shot a skeptical look at him. "Something Abby said led me to believe that she did something to his desk," he explained to Ziva before returning to his own desk and release the mute button on his phone. "His desk is the same as it usually is…Yes I'm sure…What? No, his desk isn't decorated, he was _shot_ and _stabbed,_ he didn't celebrate a birthday or get married, why would someone decorate his desk?…Why did I say married? Just an example," he replied, rolling his eyes. "No, I really don't think he got married…No, I don't know what happened to those decorations," he stated, curiously looking in the trash barrels around the bullpen and then towards Ziva who seemed just as confused as he was.

"Tim? No, he didn't leave yet…He's in a conference with Gibbs…No, not the elevator, conference room 3…Abby, you can't do that…if you try to break into the cameras in there, you will most likely be leaving NCIS before noon," he harshly warned, "Possibly in cuffs," he added.

"She would not dare," an outraged Ziva hissed.

Tony nodded, if she thought she could get away with it, she would try it. "Abby, I'm serious. McGee just pulled Boss into another voluntary conference…No, I'm not setting you up for an April Fool's day joke," he said rolling his eyes. "I seriously doubt that, Probie's not the type…Yes, I'm sure…No I don't know what it's about, but if I did it would be because I was in that meeting and not talking to you," he added. "Now, I have to get back to work," he said as he ended that call, only to begin dialing again.

"Who are you calling?"

Tony rolled his eyes at her, "Ghostbusters," he joked before turning serious. "Just got a bad feeling," he stated, before speaking into the phone, 'Ducky, how's McGee?...I know he's not with you right now, he's with Gibbs…Yeah, he's here today…I saw him sitting at his desk this morning…No, I don't think his shoulder's hurting…No, Gibbs didn't send him down to see you…Yes, I know he wouldn't be cleared for _field_ duty this quickly…Ducky! If you'll let me explain we can stop playing 20 questions…He just pulled Gibbs into conference room 3…yes, that's right, _he_ brought Gibbs in…said he _needed_ to speak with him _privately_ …Gibbs?...all he said was to ask 'alone?'…And Tim almost called him _sir_ , never called him boss _._ "

Ziva listened to his conversation as she anxiously watched the halls for a sighting of Tim. The longer he was sequestered with Gibbs the more serious it probably was, she thought. She really hoped he wasn't quitting or talking to Gibbs about a transfer. If that was the case, maybe she should be the one to ask for a transfer. After all she was a liaison officer, Tim's career and future was with NCIS. Of course, since it was taking so long, perhaps Gibbs was trying to talk Tim out of whatever action he had decided to take?

"I asked if he was cleared for desk duty, but he didn't answer, just avoided my question and my gaze. He didn't answer when Gibbs asked him that either," Tony admitted. "Duck, I'm worried," Tony confessed. "He didn't give any hint on Monday about what he might have decided?...I know you wouldn't betray a confidence, I just don't know-" Tony scowled as Ducky cut him off. "Yeah, Duck, I hear you," Tony replied, before once more asking, "You're sure there's nothing serious with his shoulder, Ducky?...No permanent effects?...You sure?...1000%, huh?...Yeah, I know it's not his dom-

"Abby," Tony broke off as the Goth appeared in front of him, glaring at him with her arms crossed over her chest. "Hold on, Ducky," he spoke into the phone before holding the receiver to his chest as he glare at the woman in front of him. "Why are you up here? I told you not to come, that Tim isn't here right now."

"You can't tell me McGee and Gibbs are in another private conference and not expect me to act," she huffed.

Ziva frowned, "No action on your part is required," she snapped.

Tony snorted, "What are you going to do? Block the door so they can't come out unless they tell you what's going on?"

Ziva glared at Tony for that suggestion as Abby seemed to mull it over.

"Obviously this is a private matter he needed to talk Gibbs about," Ziva pointed out. "If he wanted, _wants_ us to know, he'll tell us."

"But Ziva!" Abby whined, "He never told us about the last meeting, almost two months ago. What makes you think he'll tell us about this one?"

"Nothing-" Ziva began, only to be cut off.

"See! So I need to make him tell us."

Tony looked between the two arguing women wondering who would attack first. Regardless of who started it, his money was on Ziva ending it.

"No, Abby, you do not," the younger woman corrected, glaring at the scientist. "He has the right to his privacy, if he wants us to know, he will tell us," she repeated.

"But it could be that he finally made a decision," she said, trying to get Ziva more interested about what was going on behind door number 3. "We should know what that is."

"You will," Ziva informed her. "When he, Gibbs, and Vance call you into the office and tell you."

"We should be in there with them now," she argued.

"No." Ziva replied firmly.

"But we need to have the chance to defend ourselves against those accusations."

Ziva simply raised an eyebrow, "First, there is no defense good enough for what you did," she told her. "Second, we need to trust Tim, Gibbs, and Vance to do what is right and fair, and Third, we do not even know if that is what they are talking about."

Abby snorted, "What else would they have to talk about? It's not like they have anything in common," she stated. "The only reason why Gibbs is even paying this much attention to him is to calm him own. Things will go back to how they are supposed to be," Abby informed them. "Besides, this is all just a misunderstanding. Timmy will understand once I explain that to him. He knows that Tony and I are his best and closest friends," Abby argued.

"Hey, leave me out of this," Tony commented only to be ignored by both women.

Abby's eyes narrowed as she looked at Ziva, who had snorted in reply to her earlier words. "What does that mean?"

"That you do not act like much of a friend, let alone a best friend," she coldly answered.

"How dare you," Abby hissed, taking a step towards the other woman.

"Enough!" Ducky interrupted as he approached, Jimmy following him, as well as most of the eyes and ears of the squad room floor. "Ziva's right."

"Ducky!" Abby cried, hurt by his words.

"Ducky?" Tony asked looking between the man before him and his phone.

"You can hang up your phone now, Anthony," Ducky patiently advised, waiting for Tony to follow his instructions before he continued. "And I'm not talking about whether or not you act like a friend to Timothy."

"HA!"

The medical examiner frowned at Abby for her outburst as he continued, "That is something only you and Timothy can determine. I am not privy to most of your interactions, so it is not fair of me to pass judgment, nor do I have the right to do so. Something you should be grateful for," he added, holding up a hand to stop her when she opened her mouth to speak. "As I said, that is something between you and him. Just like this meeting is between him and Gibbs. _If_ Timothy feels you should know or decides he wants you to know, then he will tell you. I fear digging for answers when he doesn't want to give them will make the situation worse."

"Situation?" Abby questioned, "What situation?"

"Abigail," Ducky warned her using both his tone of voice and his eyes. "You are too smart to play stupid," he warned. "The discussion that is going on between Timothy and Gibbs obviously doe not concern you. If you need to be involved, you will be, likewise, if Timothy wants you to know, he will tell you."

"Timmy will tell me," Abby predicted. "I just have to get him alone to give him the chance to do so."

"But he's okay, right, Ducky Able to return to the field, no issues?" Tony asked worriedly, rushing in before anyone could respond to Abby's most recent statement. "Abby has a point about there not being much else Tim and Gibbs would talk about," he admitted. "It's either about what happened with us last week, his injury, or something regarding his job."

"My dear Anthony, there is always a risk and issues when one is recovering from multiple wounds as Timothy is," Ducky reminded the seasoned agent. "But, yes, his physical recovery is coming along as expected."

"And mentally?"

"Anthony," Ducky replied warningly.

Tony nodded, understanding the doctor's point. "Right, not my business, sorry," he said, receiving a forgiving nod in return form the older man.

"Ziva," he began, turning towards her, only to break off and look around the bullpen, "Where did Ziva go?"

Ducky, Jimmy, and Abby all looked around as well. "She was right there," Abby stated.

"Well, she's not there now."

"Ladies room?" Jimmy suggested, "What?" he asked when everyone looked at him, "Everyone has to go sometime, maybe she needed to go."

"Now? Really, Jimmy?" Abby snapped, "With all this going on?"

"Sorry," Jimmy replied with a shrug, "But where else would she go? I doubt she would barge in on Agents Gibbs and McGee."

Once more everyone turned to stare at Jimmy before exchanging looks and glancing down the hall towards conference room three.

All four of them seemed to move at once. Tony stood up and stepped away from his desk; Abby turned around; Ducky strategically moved to the side, blocking Abby and Tony from heading down that corridor; and Jimmy echoed Ducky's movements.

"Ducky, if Ziva is down there, we really should try to stop here."

"If she was headed there, then she has already arrived," Ducky commented, pointedly looking at the empty hallway.

"Gibbs is gonna kill her if she barged in on them," Tony predicted.

"There is nothing you can do to help her and there is no reason for you to interfere."

Tony frowned, "What about having her back? Working as a teammate?"

Duck nodded, "Good rules, but a bit late for them in this instance I believe," he added causing the Senior field agent to sigh in agreement as he reluctantly returned to his desk.

"Come on, Duckman," Abby cajoled. "If Ziva is in there, we should be there."

"I think not," the elderly man disagreed.

Abby sighed in resignation before taking a seat on the edge of Ziva's desk. After a few minutes of silence and glances towards the hallway, she gave another sigh. "This is boring," she said standing up and approaching the ME. "Can I at least return to my lab?"

Ducky eyed her suspiciously before nodding, "Jimmy, escort her to the elevator," he instructed.

Abby rolled her eyes and corrected, "Stairs."

"Fine, the stairs," Ducky agreed. Jimmy nodded and walked with Abby towards the stairs. Once they reached the stairwell door, Jimmy opened the door for her and offered, "Um, we'll call you when they're back?"

Abby turned to meet his eyes before replying, "No need," and spinning on her heel ducked under her arm and raced down the hall.

With a sigh, Ducky and Jimmy chased after her, Tony jumping up to follow them.

* * *

 _I love the scene of Tony looking between the phone, where he was talking to ducky, and the Ducky that appeared in the bullpen. And Ducky's response of patiently telling Tony he could hang up the phone, is to die for._

 _What did Ziva do? How about Abby?_

 _I would love to hear from anyone still reading this. I hope I didn't lose anyone, that would be so irresponsible of me :)_

A/N: Yeah, it's been awhile. Spent the beginning of May helping take care of my grandmother and preparing for vacation in the mile of the month. With two days left of that family vacation, my grandmother was rushed to the hospital in Florida. She was admitted to ICU. Every other day she was 'downgraded', doing well, should be released in two day and we could head home (driving to Mass), only to have something else develop or show up on the test (Congestive heart failure, BP), and her classified as ICU again while they worked on meds and stabilizing her. My week of vacation turned into 2+. A week after she was admitted we were told that she had acute kidney failure and that it was only a matter of time. She passed away 4 days later on Saturday (Still in Florida)(and one of her daughter's-my aunt's-birthday); the funeral the following Saturday (My grandfather's birthday-her husband-who died 16 years ago). I did very little writing during those three weeks and even this last week, I ended up working on another story in memory of her.

I never expected that I would still be working on this story at this time. But do not worry, it might take a bit (Hopefully not too much longer) but it will be finished.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.


	92. Wednesday, April 1 (part II) (J92)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Tim and Gibbs hadn't been talking long about Tim's thoughts and feelings regarding what his coworkers had done and what he hoped to see in the future when the door opened.

"Gibbs, do not listen to him," Ziva ordered as she stood in the doorway to Conference room 3, her gaze going from one man to the other.

Tim stared at her in shock, while their boss smirked and took a step back as if yielding the floor to Ziva.

"He does not know what he is talking about. Blame it on the medications, if you need an excuse for his behavior," she added, glaring at Tim.

Tim mentally and physically shook himself out of the daze he was in. If anything he would have expected Abby to be spying on this meeting. Actually, knowing Abby, she would attempt to barge in and join the conversation. "Ziva,"

"No, Tim," she interrupted, her voice firm. "Do not do this," she interrupted, meeting his eyes, "You do not know what you want."

"I do," Tim replied stressing the familiar phrase and hoping Ziva would react as she had in the past.

"No, you do not," Ziva repeated firmly, before turning to Gibbs. "It has been a challenging week, a lot has happened. He is just out of the hospital and as I said, should be on medication, though I guess he did not take it today," she stated before pausing and frowning, "At least I hope he did not take it if he drove to work," she added worriedly, wondering which was worse, Tim taking his medication and driving or skipping a dosage. Shaking her head and making a note to discuss that with him later, she continued. "It might be best for him to take some more time and really think about everything and _everyone_ before he reaches any conclusions. And I really think that _we_ need to talk about things among ourselves before we- _he_ " she corrected "talks to you about everything. I do not know what he told you, but _please_ do not take it as choir music."

Gibbs looked at her, eyebrow raised as he tried to decipher her meaning before deciding he knew what she meant even if he couldn't translate the latest Zivaism. But if she didn't know what Tim had said, why did she want him to disregard it? He couldn't help but wonder what she thought the two of them were discussing.

"Ziva, trust me. I _have_ thought about everything involved. I know exactly what I am doing and why," he replied, his eyes unconsciously going to the table where proof of how much he thought things through laid.

Following his gaze, Ziva stepped fully into the room, finally releasing her hold on the door. Looking at the torn paper innocently laying on table, she carefully read it, noticing the reason for the separation was listed as personal. He was leaving her? Leaving them? Her eyes shifted to meet Tim's. "So you are quitting?" she softly asked, giving Gibbs a clue as to what she suspected was happening in here without her. Before Tim could answer, she continued, "You are just going to leave me, without talking about it first? Without giving me, or Tony, or Abby a chance to change, a chance to make things right?"

"I'm not leaving because of what happened in the bullpen last week," Tim shared, causing Ziva to frown for a moment.

"But you are leaving," Ziva stated.

Gibbs could almost hear the silent 'me' added onto her statement. Looking at Tim, he wondered if the younger man picked up on it as well.

"I…" Tim hesitated not sure how to answer that question, his gaze flitting between her and Gibbs. His plan had been to talk to Ziva to see if she would be open to pursuing a real relationship with him, then, if needed, either because the couple could not separate work and their personal life or because the relationship didn't work out and Tim could not move on while maintaining daily contact with her, he would finalize his resignation. Since the conversation with Ziva hadn't happened yet, he was unsure how to answer her question.

Noticing his uncertainty, Ziva commented on the state of the letter. "It is torn," Ziva stated, her eyes locking onto Gibbs'. "It is not dated either," she added. "Does that mean it is not valid or accepted? Was it rescinded?"

Gibbs smirked, proud at how observant she was, he hadn't noticed the lack of date until Tim mentioned it. However he refused to answer and instead waited, hoping Tim would take control of the situation and go after what he wanted.

"I…it's pending," Tim finally stated.

"Why?" A curious Ziva wanted to know. "Pending what? Are you waiting until the meeting with Vance regarding disciplinary actions for what we have done?" she asked as she looked again at the letter, even though she was sure she had it memorized. "It says that you are resigning for personal reasons, what does that mean exactly? I would think having several members of your team disrespect you by spying on you could be categorized as personal. Despite you saying that their actions are not the reason why you are leaving, I can fully understand not being able to trust any of us after last week."

Tim just shook his head as he tried to clear his thoughts. This day wasn't going according to plan. He had not expected to have this conversation before the other matter was settled, and definitely not while Gibbs was in the room.

* * *

It wouldn't surprise many people that Tony was able to run past Ducky and Jimmy in the hallway and was the first to catch up with Abby a few feet shy of conference room 3.

"Abby, stop," he grabbed hold of her arm and softly hissed not wanting to alert Gibbs to their presence grabbing a hold of her arm. "Just stop it," he repeated when she continued to struggle, trying to break free of his grasp.

"No," she snapped quietly. "If Ziva is in there, we have the right to be there as well."

"If you barge in there without an invitation, you will only be making things worse for yourself," Tony informed her. "Now stop wiggling," he added.

"But Ziv-"

"Will face the consequences of her actions _if_ she entered the room uninvited," Tony replied firmly, unconsciously shifting as Abby continued to move.

"But I-"

"No."

Abby frowned at the harshly whispered denial. "We can-"

"No," Tony repeated just as forcefully as before. "At the least, I am hoping to remain employed with NCIS," he explained. "At best, I hope to repair my friendship with Pr-Tim. That will not happen if I eavesdrop on his private conversations."

Abby pouted as she continued to move.

"Do you have ants in your pants or something?" Tony muttered as he once again moved in step with her rather than risk his arm getting pulled out of the socket.

"I just want to know what's going on," she stated looking in the direction Tim, Gibbs, and possibly Ziva were located in. "And the conversation couldn't be that private," she commented lifting a hand and pointing to the conference room, "They left the door open."

Tony turned his head to look at the door noticing that it was much closer to him than it was when he first stopped the forensic scientist. Somehow with all of Abby's wiggling, she had maneuvered them closer to the conference room.

"I have no doubt that that is an oversight," Ducky replied standing behind Abby. "Now, let's head back to the bullpen and wait."

"I think I'll wait here," Abby pleasantly countered, leaning against the wall a foot from the conference room.

"Abigail," Ducky began warningly.

Abby looked at the medical examiner and gave him her most innocent smile, "It's a free country, there's nothing that says I can't stand right here in the hallway."

Ducky sighed as he debated his options. If what he suspected was happening in that room was actually happening, Tim and Ziva would not appreaciate any interruptions. In fact, in his opinion, Abby becoming involved in that scene would most likely ruin everything. Still, he could walk away, however, he had no doubt that if he did so, Abby would definitely listen to what was being said. He also suspected that she would either begin recording it or barge in on them, ending what should be a special and private moment between a couple finally declaring their love for one another. Ducky was positive that Jethro was still in the room, he could trust that SSA would take control, nipping Abby's actions in the bud, of course, by that point, the moment would have been passed.

No, Ducky realized, he needed to take action to prevent Abby from ruining not only this moment for them but also from completely destroying the team as well.

"Well, I'm heading back," Tony replied, finally releasing his hold on Abby and turning on his heel. Abby immediately moved closer to the door so she would be able to hear better. And once everyone left her alone, she would also be able to see or perhaps even participate in the conversation.

"Anthony, wait," Ducky ordered causing the agent to turn back around in confusion. "I will need your help to make sure she doesn't interrupt them," he explained nodding his head towards Abby.

Tony hesitated, "But…I can't…Tim…Gibbs," he desperately tried to explain what he was thinking.

Ducky nodded, suspecting what Tony was trying to say, "I know. I'll take care of it. Rest assured, dear boy, I will make sure they know that _I_ requested that you stay."

Tony frowned as he thought about that. Ducky seldom asked for help, could he really walk away?

"Thank you, Anthony," Ducky added gratefully, taking the decision out of the torn agent's hands. He then directed both Tony and Jimmy in a position to prevent Abby from entering the room. Tony rolled his eyes as he realized that he was between the door and Abby, the perfect spot to listen to almost everything said inside. Unbelievable that the one time he didn't _want_ to eavesdrop he was put in such a prime position. He was determined to keep his mind on other tasks and not listen to what Gibbs, Ziva, or Tim were talking about. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure that he would be able to succeed with that task.

* * *

"I can," Ziva softly insisted. "And do not tell me that it does not matter, that you have already forgiven all of us, that you understand why they don't respect you or that you are not worthy of it," she warned. Hearing those words had Gibbs frowning as he wondered if Tim really believed that. "You deserve respect like everyone else, more than anyone else" she argued. "Not only are you in the field, like Tony or in the lab, like Abby, but you also work your magic on the computer, finding leads that neither of them can."

Once more he shook his head, "It's not that."

Ziva fell silent as she waited for Tim to continue and tell her what it was. Realizing that he wasn't going to, she tried a different approach. "Tell me what else the two of you talked about earlier then."

Tim looked at her, suddenly remembering that she had invaded this conference with Gibbs. She must have been really concerned to interrupt this meeting. It might not be how or when he wanted this conversation to happen, but perhaps it was best to finally get everything out in the open. "I was telling him that it's April 1, that 'the plan' is over," he began.

"Tim," a sorrowful Ziva began, feeling like her heart was breaking. She found it hard to believe he came to a decision about them without even talking to her about it. However, she would respect that decision, as well as his decision to leave NCIS if that was what he honestly wanted, but she would not let him tender his resignation without making sure that there was a good reason behind it. Even so, she couldn't help but wish that he had talked to her before unilaterally making the decision, both about their relationship and his employment, let alone declaring it to others.

"But that I hope _our_ relationship isn't," Tim continued, staring at her, waiting for her reaction to his words, the scenario Penny painted playing in his mind.

"Tim," she repeated, this time filled with hope, as she stared back at him, neither one of them moving.

She didn't jump into his arms, cover him in kisses, or declare her love for him but neither did she slap him, walk away, say thank you, or that she needed time to think, he realized. He'll take her breathless whisper of his name as a good sign.

Forgetting that Gibbs, who was still smirking, was in the room watching them, Tim slowly walked over to her and grasped her hands with his, bending his elbows up so that their clasped hands rested between their chests. "You're right; it has been a challenging week. I had a lot of things to sort out, a lot of thinking to do before I talked to you," he admitted before pausing a moment and looking at the room around them. He fought the cringe his body automatically initiated as he caught sight of Gibbs. As his gaze met the older man, Gibbs turned around, seemingly fascinated with the view out the window and giving the impression that he wasn't interesting in the conversation that might transpire. "This isn't how I wanted to do this, or where," he admitted shaking his head before meeting her gaze once more. "But I'm not going to put this off any longer. Time, I have recently realized, is not always on our side. I thought I- _we_ had plenty of time to figure everything out, to take things slowly. That's why I didn't say or do anything a few weeks ago, though I wanted to," he admitted as he stared into her eyes.

"Then I thought it would be best to wait, to at least get past today," he began to explain.

"Then because of me not being able to keep a hold of my temper, everything seemed to fall apart," she injected sadly, lowering her head to avoid looking at him. Tim slowly raised his left hand, still clasping her right and tilted her chin until their eyes met.

"No," he denied, "Well, okay, yeah, kinda," he reluctantly admitted when Ziva looked at him in disbelief. "A few weeks ago I wanted to wait until after this day was behind us. I wanted you to know that it was real," he explained before sheepishly admitting. "But just now, when I said I wanted to get past today, I was talking about the meeting with the Director. Even after I was injured, I thought that the work situation should be settled first," he confessed.

"You aren't responsible for my injury, nor Tony's and Abby's actions," he pointed out. "I was shocked and upset about everything that happened," Tim stated calmly, looking only at Ziva and not noticing the slight push on the conference room door.

* * *

'Relationship?' Abby mouthed, wishing her companions knew ASL so they could talk without the risk of being overheard. Timmy must mean his and Ziva's _work_ relationship, she realized. No doubt he's decided that he can't trust her and is either leaving or asking that she be reassigned. She smiled at that thought, believing that he knew that Abby was the only one he _could_ trust.

Judging by the looks on Tony's and Jimmy's faces, she realized that she had missed something. Since she couldn't ask them about it, she stretched out her arm and tried to inch the door open a bit more. After all, you couldn't have a movie without picture, right?

"Abby," Tony hissed warningly as he noticed the door open even more, allowing them a better view of what was happening inside.

"What?" she innocently questioned.

Tony just glared at her before shaking his head. He had tried not to listen, and had done pretty well until Ziva let out her mournful cry. Only once before had he heard Ziva sound so sad, so heartbroken. That was when she had talked about her sister. If Tim's friendship with Ziva was on such shaky grounds because of what happened, what did that mean for him? And why was Probie holding Ziva's hands?

* * *

"You were mad," Ziva corrected. "You didn't talk to me for two days."

Tim sheepishly looked away, releasing her hands and nervously shoved them in his pockets. "I didn't really talk to anybody," he shared. "Not even Sarah, but thank you for contacting her and not telling her what happened. It was probably good that I wasn't alone," he admitted. "But the reason I didn't talk to you wasn't because I was mad, but because of _why_ I was mad," he began.

"Yes, I understand," an embarrassed Ziva nodded in agreement before looking away from him again, "I was insensitive, mean, and cruel. I acted and spoke without thinking, betraying your trust."

"No, well, yes, kinda, but it wasn't you, it was me," he admitted, looking extremely uncomfortable as he realized what he had just said. "I was more hurt that you didn't tell me what was going on when you learned of it than by what Tony and Abby had done. Part of me wasn't surprised by their actions, hurt and disappointed, yes, but not really surprised," he confessed. "The two of them have always been like that with me. I know they don't respect me, personally or professionally; that they often don't show me any common courtesy. I have also learned to expect those shenanigans from them, but you…" he trailed off.

Gibbs growled and his shoulders stiffened at the realization of not only how his young agent felt, but at how much he really had missed regarding his team. Luckily his reaction didn't interfere with the conversation since it went unnoticed by the preoccupied couple.

"These last few months we talked about everything. We agreed to be honest with each other. I trusted you," he stated softly, his words causing Ziva to flinch. Seeing her reaction and not wanting her to get upset or mad, Tim hurried to add, "I still trust you.

"But the reason I was so mad was because I realized how much I care about you, how much you have come to mean to me. That's why I couldn't talk to you, not only was I trying to deal with what happened, but with the realization of how I felt. I didn't want to say anything that I couldn't take back. Above everything else, I wanted to be sure I didn't jeopardize the possibility of us."

"Tim," Ziva whispered hopefully, her eyes lifting up to meet his. It was great to hear what Tim had been thinking and feeling last week, but she wished he would just say how he felt, rather than keep alluding to it.

"I know I said I wanted the work part figured out before the relationship part, but _this_ , _us_ ," he continued, once more reaching to grasp her hands with his and giving them a squeeze, "Is much more important," he stated, his eyes briefly flicking to the letter of resignation on the desk. "I can't let it go on any longer.

"I missed you," he shared, staring into her eyes. "This last week without you, not talking with you, helped me realize how much you are a part of my life, how much I want to keep you in my life. I love being with you, talking with you. You are the one I want to talk to, to laugh with, and to cry with. You have become the center of my world and I don't want it any other way."

The room occupants were so caught up in the moment that they did not notice the silhouettes now at the doorway as three pairs of eyes peered in, not believing what they were hearing.

* * *

Tony was amused by the fact that Tim admitted that he hadn't really talked to anyone those first few days. Of course, part of him was curious about _why_ Ziva felt it necessary to contact Sarah. At least Tim was no longer holding her hands.

He was even more amused that Tim actually said 'it's not you, it was me'. That quickly changed with the next words spoken. Tony frowned, Tim _expected_ him and Abby to be discourteous and disrespectful to him? He also noticed that Gibbs had tensed when Tim had shared that piece of information.

He was curious about why Tim was making such a big deal about the fact that he cared for Ziva. Anyone who met Probie knew that he was the type of guy who took his friendships seriously. There was nothing Probie wouldn't do for you once you made it into his circle of friends, a circle that wasn't even all that difficult to gain entry in either. Of course, as his teammate, his relationship with Ziva would be important to Tim.

'Us'? Tony mouthed in confusion, 'the possibility of us'. What did that mean? Tony wondered before his jaw dropped in shock as Tim continued speaking, unaware of his captive audience. Of course, those last lines were pure sap, Tony almost snorted. Actually, they seemed appropriate coming from Probie, he realized as he leaned in, wanting to know more about what was going on.

* * *

Tim paused again, a far away look in his eyes as he remembered the previous week. "Last week was really tough. There were so many times I wanted to talk to you, but I was so confused with everything that happened. Then there was that case and the Colosseum and the attack," Tim stated giving a shake of his head as he got caught up in the memory.

"When those bullets came flying at me, my one thought was of you," he confessed. "When one hit me, I knew I had to do something. The only way to tell you something was wrong was either by phone and staying put for even another second could mean death, or by stepping out of the alcove, gun drawn in the perp's direction. If I wanted to catch our suspect, if I wanted to live to see you again, that was the wisest choice. When he jumped me from behind, _you_ were what kept me going on. Knowing that if I went down, not only would I most likely die and never get the chance to tell you how I felt, but that you could be his next target gave me the strength to flip him and gain the upper hand, and to continue the fight. All I cared about was that you were safe. As soon as I knew you were, nothing else mattered," Tim paused for a moment. "Next thing I know I was waking up in the hospital with everyone there. Then I was discharged and went home with Penny. That's when things got worse. Oh, being with Penny was fine," seeing the concern in her eyes, he rushed to reassure her, releasing one of her hands so he could lovingly caress her cheek with his hand. "But not seeing you, knowing that you weren't around, not knowing how you were doing…that was unbearable." Tim paused and shook his head as his hand ran down her arm before reclaiming her hand. "It was even worse when I returned to my place yesterday. Everything reminded me of you. I tried to get something to eat and all I could remember was when we made tacos in the kitchen. I tried to distract myself, but watching movies without you in bed next to me wasn't any fun; I then tried to listen to my records or write, but without you around it just wasn't the same. The apartment felt so empty, so lonely. Sarah stopped by," Tim continued, puzzling Ziva and their audience with the change of topic. "She made me some soup, probably the only thing she can cook," he wryly admitted. "The same soup that I made for you when you were sick and that _you_ had Sarah make for me. She reassured me that it was chock full of the special ingredient… _love_." Even though Tim whispered the last word, both it and the sentiment behind it carried to the six sets of ears listening to his words.

Ziva's mouth opened in surprise and she instinctively stepped closer to Tim as she realized what he was saying by informing her that the special ingredient was love. Tim's arms automatically wrapped around her as he embraced her before leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

Looking at the scene before him, Tony whispered, "Whoa," from the doorway, earning an elbow to the ribs from Abby for possibly garnering attention in their direction. Thankfully it seemed as if the room occupants were still too involved in the moment and didn't spare the people gathered around the doorway a glance. Tony frowned at that. He could easily believe that of Ziva and Probie, especially if there little scene was real, but Gibbs? Sneaking a look at the older man Tony noticed that he wasn't looking at them, nor was he looking at Tim and Ziva. Instead, he just stared out the window, and was that a smirk Tony saw on Gibbs's reflection on the window?

"You've been a large part of my life for many years now, but these last few months, you've been so much more. I don't want to go another week without you. Hell, I don't want to go another hour, let alone 24," Tim shared. "And I know that all of that was my fault, but I had to figure out exactly how I felt. About you, me, us. About what happened with Tony and Abby. Things were complicated enough with us, but after learning what they had done, that you hadn't shared that with me-"

"Tim," Ziva interrupted, "I am _so_ sorry for that. I wanted to tell you, but I wanted to do so away from the office. I should have-"

"Shh, shhh," Tim hushed her, moving one of his hands to place a finger against her lips. "I know, I know. I'm not mad. And I told you, I trust you. If I wasn't so confused or worried about how I felt, trying to decipher what your actions meant, or being so stubborn about admitting it, things would've been different, but none of that matters now," Tim added, pulling her in for another embrace. "I didn't mean to mention it again, but everything is tangled up together in my mind that it just came out. Honestly, I could care less about what Tony did. The only thing I care about is you, _us_ , and not messing this up any more."

"Tim, we can't ignore everything that happened that day," she protested.

"And we won't," he promised, "But with everything else that happened, it gave me some perspective."

Ziva snorted, feeling much more relaxed now that they were being open about their feelings. "Perspective will not change what happened," she commented.

"I know," he agreed, enjoying the feel of Ziva in his arms.

"Neither will you resigning," she softly added.

* * *

Tony wasn't sure if he could believe what he was hearing. It wasn't that shocking to hear that Tim had fallen for Ziva, after all, she was beautiful, fun, feisty, who wouldn't fall for her? But the Ninja Assassin be so apologetic for her part of their…potential break up…was very out of character for the war-hardened Mossad officer. But Ziva falling for Probie?

This was definitely a side of Ziva he hadn't seen before. In fact, if it wasn't for how she's been the last few months with guy in tights, he wouldn't have believed it was even her.

He felt both hopeful and hurt when Tim mentioned that he didn't care about the events from ten days ago. Tim's next words about perspective helped him understand how that situation paled in comparison to getting shot and stabbed.

Hearing Ziva's words, Tony started from the doorway, his mouth open as he readied to protest Tim leaving. An arm on his shoulder prevented him from barging in and a hand over his mouth stifled his words. Turning his head around, he saw that it was Jimmy that was keeping him in place and Ducky silencing him. As his eyes met the older man's, Ducky shook his head and pulled back on Tony's shoulder trying to get the SFA to calm down. Tim and Ziva were seemingly unaware of the invasion, but Gibbs had sensed the intrusion and sent a glare in their direction before giving the door a pointed look.

Tony's eyes pleaded with Gibbs to let them stay, to be a part of what was going on, but Gibbs remained absolute. Reluctantly, the two were pulled away from the door way. Ducky took control of Abby, who stubbornly tried to say and listen in on the conversation while Jimmy had a much easier time shepherding Tony away from the scene, though the agent did shoot covert glances over his shoulder to the now closed door, curious about Tim's response.

* * *

7-5-19

* * *

So, Tim and Ziva talked (with Gibbs present!).

The rest of the team basically know...how will they react? Do they believe it? _Will_ it split the team up for good?

* * *

Yeah, I know, it's not completed yet...but this chapter ended up over 10K. I figured it was easier to break down the editing and to post it in pieces since I kept adding and moving things. Hopefully I will have another chapter (or two) this weekend.


	93. Wednesday Apr1 (Part III) (J93)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

"Oh, my God, oh, my God" Abby exclaimed as Ducky ushered them back to the bullpen so that they would be unable to listen to the rest of that conversation. "Ziva and Timmy! This is awesome!"

"Why?" Tony asked, "Not that it's a bad thing," he added when both Ducky and Jimmy glared at him.

"Because if Timmy's in love with Ziva he won't file a complaint or involve IA. You heard him, I could care less about Tony," Abby said trying to imitate Tim's voice, "So he obviously he isn't mad about it. That also means that he knows it was done to help him, which means that everything can go back to normal," she cheered.

Tony snorted casting another glance towards the conference room. "It's never gonna go back to normal," he replied before turning and leaving the bullpen and heading towards the head.

"Abigail," Ducky warned, "Timothy mentioned that he could care less about what Tony _did_ , not that he didn't care about Tony," he corrected. "It also does not mean that he has forgiven _either one_ of you."

"Pfft," Abby replied dismissively, waving her hand. "I have no doubt that he'll apologize to me the next time I see him," she added before cheerfully exiting the bullpen, away from the conference rooms.

Jimmy and Ducky stared after her, surprise evident on their faces.

"Did she just-"

"Yes," Ducky confirmed before his assistant could verbalize his question.

Jimmy's eyes widened, "And she really thinks Tim owes _her_ an apology for everything?"

Ducky nodded.

Jimmy swallowed. "Um,"

"I know," Ducky commiserated patting Jimmy's shoulder, "I know."

* * *

As soon as Tony exited the head, Abby stalked up to him, glaring at him. Once she was in striking distance, she swung and punched the SFA on the arm, "You broke rule 1."

"What?" Tony asked in confusion, thinking about the multiple rule ones: always were gloves at a crime scene and don't screw (over) your partner. "Um, I think you have me confused with McGee," he replied with a smirk.

" _My_ rules," she clarified not amused by his insinuation that Timmy and Ziva were sleeping together, "Never lie to Abby."

Tony frowned, "I didn't lie."

"You told me Sandy was Tim's girlfriend," she reminded him. "You know, the girl from his building."

Tony shrugged dismissively, "I thought she was. I saw them together early Saturday morning outside Tim's building with the dog. Seemed like a natural conclusion."

Abby glared, "Well then, if Ziva is his girlfriend, who is she?"

"Don't know, don't care," Tony replied still more curious about how long McGee and Ziva have been seeing each other.

"Maybe Tim's cheating."

"On Ziva?" Tony replied skeptically. "Probie definitely isn't stupid enough to do that."

"Maybe on Sandy _with_ Ziva," Abby proposed.

"Same thing," Tony commented not sure which would be worse: the damage Ziva would do if she discovered that the guy she was dating was cheating on her; or what she would do when she found out he made her 'the other woman'. "Besides…Tim cheating?" he added snorting at the very thought. "C'mon Abby, you know Tim wouldn't do that."

"Pul-lease," Abby scowled. "He's a guy. If the opportunity came up and he thought he could get away with it, he would," she argued.

"And now I know one of the reasons why you and Probie never worked out," Tony muttered. How someone who claimed to be Tim's best friend could not know him at all was beyond him. "No," he said louder for her to hear. "Tim's one of the good guys. He's not like that. And don't say all guys are," he warned as he stepped closer to her, "Or I'll tell you to say that to Gibbs regarding him and Shannon."

Abby swallowed and changed the subject, "Well, then, who is Sandy?"

Tony shrugged, not really caring. "As I said, don't know. Maybe just a neighbor," he stated dismissively.

"McGee better not trust just anyone to take care of Jethro for a few days," she replied causing Tony to look at her in shock that she really did seem to care more for the dog than Tim. "Or have a key to his apartment," she added.

Tony's eyes narrowed, "How do you know she has a key and was taking care of Jethro?"

Abby blinked slowly, "You said that she was walking him."

"She was with Tim while he was walking Jethro," he corrected.

"In the pics she had the leash," Abby argued.

Tony tilted his head as he tried to remember the details of those pictures. Shaking his head he couldn't remember the specifics, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, "And the key?"

"Well," she paused, "Who else would have been checking on Jethro while Timmy was in the hospital?"

"Hmm," Tony hummed obnoxiously, looking up and tapping his chin as if in deep thought, "Maybe his _girlfriend_ , Ziva?"

Abby huffed as she turned and walked away, heading towards her lab. Timmy and Ziva? She silently questioned. How could two members of the team be together for months without anyone suspecting? Answer: They couldn't, especially when one of them was McGee whose emotions were so easily read. There was no way he could've kept that hidden, especially from her.

She suspected something hinky was going on, now all she had to do was figure out what it was.

* * *

"I know," Tim repeated in reply to her last statement.

"Then why did you do that?" She asked, nodding to his resignation.

"For you, for us. To let you know how serious I was about our relationship," he stated softly, earning a puzzled look from Ziva. "Rule 12."

"Oh," she replied her eyes flew to the figure of Gibbs standing by the window before returning to Tim. "OH!" She replied as the truth hit her. "You will not quit," she ordered. "You love NCIS, being a field agent."

"I love you more," he informed her, "And you would be worth it," he added.

"It is something you have dreamed of," Ziva reminded him, before he could explain that it was a moot point anyway.

"My new dream is of the life we can build together," he informed her. "An-"

Ziva shook her head in response before cutting him off. "I understand that and feel the same, which is why I cannot let you do this. _I_ will leave. I am not an NCIS employee, it is only right that I go."

"Ziva," Tim began, glad to hear her mention her feelings for him, but wanting to share with her that Rule 12 wasn't a problem.

"No," the feisty brunette argued, interrupting him. "We will figure something out. Maybe I can be of assistance in intelligence, I still have my many contacts or perhaps I can work at a different agency," she speculated.

"Zee," he tried once more to explain.

"It will be fine," a worried Ziva tried to reassure him.

"Ziv-,"

"Just fine," she interrupted him as she rubbed her hand up and down his arm in a comforting gesture.

A loud whistle pierced the room, causing the arguing couple to turn to face Gibbs who was no longer staring out the window but was now focusing his gaze on the two of them. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Ziver, I know you mean well, but in the future, I suggest you let your partner speak. Many an argument could be prevented or resolved quickly by _listening_ to one another."

Ziva stared at him in shock, a three time divorcee given them relationship advice? Or does he mean partner as in team member?

"Tim, tell her," Gibbs ordered, turning around to face the window once more.

"We have his blessing," he stated before sharing that part of their conversation with her. Once he was finished, an exuberant Ziva kissed him in relief then walked over to thank the older man before returning to Tim.

* * *

"How long do you think this had been going on?" Tony finally asked **.** He had returned to his desk, surprised to find that the bullpen wasn't empty. Ducky and Jimmy were sitting patiently and silently at Gibbs's and Tim's desk respectively.

Jimmy looked around the bullpen after that question had been asked. He didn't even want to attempt to answer it.

"We first learned that McGee was seeing someone about two months ago," Tony continued. "Do you think that's when it started? Or was that just when it started to get serious?

"McGee was the first one of us to befriend Ziva," Tony continued, pointing out something they all knew. "It's not hard to imagine that he developed a crush on her and has, in fact, carried it this entire time. Perhaps he was just biding his time for his chance to strike? How do you think it began? Maybe he did something purely McGee-ish and she went to thank him with a hug which he took for more? Or perhaps she went to give him an innocent kiss on the cheek, but he strategically turned his head? Or maybe h-"

"Anthony, it is not your business," Ducky stated quietly.

"Duck, my two partners are _partners_. Of course it's my business," Tony challenged. "It's going to affect the entire team," he explained. "It already has," he softly added.

Ducky tilted his head, realizing that Tony's comment was correct, but still did not respond to his earlier questions.

Tony smiled smugly before leaning back in his chair and casually placing his feet on his desk, ankles crossed, as he thought about how this new information was going to change everything.

"Do you think Gibbs already knew?" Tony asked a few minutes later when there were still no sign of Gibbs or the…'happy couple'. "He did ask McGee if he wanted to meet alone. Of course, he could've meant if he wanted us there because he made his decision," he thought. "Or perhaps Gibbs was referring to Vance," Tony speculated. "Nah," he decided dismissively. "Obviously if Tim wanted Vance there, the meeting would've been in The Director's office."

"Does it really matter?" Ducky pointedly asked.

"It could," Tony replied. "We might have to investigate the scene for manslaughter if Gibbs is just finding out now that Tim and Ziva broke rule 12 and kept it from him," he smirked in the medical examiner's direction.

"Oh my God," Tony declared, eyes opening widely and feet flying off the desk and hitting the floor as he jumped up. "Tim and Ziva broke rule 12," he repeated, sitting back down in his chair in shock and blankly staring at the wall.

A few minutes later, he stood, "I need to…" his voice trailing off as he rushed out of the bullpen, leaving Jimmy and Ducky looking after him worriedly.

* * *

"I…" Tim hesitated.

"What?" Ziva asked, pulling slightly away from Tim's embrace to gaze up at him.

"It's really not important," he prefaced, "just something I was wondering about."

"You know you can tell me anything," she whispered when Tim didn't continue.

Tim nodded as he thought about what he wanted to say. "That first night I was in the hospital," Tim softly began, "I think I heard you talking to me."

Ziva raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "When I first woke up, I attributed it as just being a dream. That I wanted you there so much that I imagined it, imagined you talking to me and everything," he admitted blushing in embarrassment as he remembered what he had imagined, "but then after talking with Tony I realized that his part of that dream had really happened. Because of that I figured that there was a good chance that some of the parts with you were factual as well."

"And what did you dream?" She teased him.

Deciding that this was something he didn't need to know, Gibbs just shook his head and left the room, standing guard outside to make sure Abby and Tony didn't return.

"You beside me, holding my hand;"

"That was real," Ziva informed him.

"Telling me that I would be okay;"

"That too,"

"That you would be there when I woke, that you would take care of me," he shared. Ziva nodded her confirmation.

Tim blushed, "You laying in bed beside me,"

"I was," an unrepentant Ziva claimed.

Tim's blush deepened, but he didn't say another word about that, instead decided to share the words that he heard. "You started talking about the last few months, our dates and the times we spent together and how you felt about them," he continued, meeting her eyes. "Then your phone rang and I heard our song playing."

"Our song?" Ziva repeated, not remembering a radio being on, let alone the two of them having a song.

"Glory of love, your ringtone," Tim informed her when she frowned in confusion. "After you put your phone on silence, you continued to sing it, explaining why you chose that as your ringtone,"

"Because it reminded me of you," Ziva explained as she had that night in the hospital.

"And why that was, because," Tim paused as he blushed again. "Because I remind you of a knight: generous, compassionate, loyal."

"Honorable, strong, courageous, humble," Ziva continued when Tim stopped. "Trust me, you are all of those things and so much more."

Tim didn't respond, deciding not to argue with his new girlfriend.

"You are my knightly Elf Lord," Ziva acknowledged.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement of her words before continuing. "That moment was what made me realize that you really did care about me, perhaps as much as I cared for you. Just laying there, listening to those lyrics, as you shared your thoughts. That song," he shook his head as he changed what he was going to say. "Those lyrics, they were true, at least on my side," he added before beginning his explanation. " _You_ keep me standing tall, having you by my side makes me stronger; I want to be the hero you deserve; I would fight for you, and not just your honor; I will always love you, could never make it on my own and would never leave you. The fact that you said that that song reminds you of me, that you made it your ringtone…" Tim's voice trailed off since he was unable to put all he was feeling into words.

"How could I not think of that as 'our song' after that?" Tim asked before blushing again. "Oh, God, that was so cheesy," he muttered in embarrassment.

"It was perfect," Ziva corrected. "And you are my hero," Ziva informed him before giving him a kiss.

* * *

"Why did you not talk to me?" Ziva asked a few minutes after their kiss ended. "You talked to Gibbs about us before you talked to me. I understand trying to figure everything out, I suspected that you were processing everything," she explained. "But after you did that, you still did not talk with me."

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you."

Ziva glared at him for that response; Tim, as far as she was aware, he did not even _attempt_ to get in contact with her. All it would have taken was a call, a text, an e-mail. There were numerous way he could have contacted her.

"Okay, I didn't make the time," he admitted, knowing he was caught.

"But you made sure you had the time to talk with Gibbs?" she pointedly observed.

A sheepish look crossed his face, as he thought about _why_ he did what he had. "Think of it akin to asking for the father's permission for your hand in marriage," he offered, knowing he couldn't lie to her.

Ziva just raised an eyebrow, "Bit early for that," she commented.

Tim just shrugged before grinning at her, "Never too early to plan for the future."

"Oh, really?" She asked as stepped back into his arms, to show that she wasn't upset that he hadn't talked with her earlier, nor that she was scared off by thoughts of the future.

"Yep," he smirked, placing another kiss on the top of her head before changing the subject. "Speaking of the future and talking with Gibbs," Tim hesitated, "Um, we don't think it's a good idea to tell Tony about how our relationship began."

Ziva frowned, "What? That we were coworkers who unexpectedly fell in love with each other, and finally realized that they could have so much more than friendship?"

"Er, no, that's fine," Tim replied, softly smiling at the scene she described. "I was actually referring to the joke we planned on playing on him," he admitted. "Until Tony really accepts and understands that you and I are an 'us', we don't think it would go over well."

"Go over what?" A perplexed Ziva asked.

"I meant that he might not take it well," Tim explained.

"Oh, yes, I can see that," Ziva agreed nodding her head. "The team seems to be hanging on by a nail."

Tim grinned even more due to her phrasing, glad that she couldn't see his face since she was once again in his arms.

"You are grinning," she stated.

"How do you-" he started to ask before breaking off as he realized what he had admitted to.

"I just do," she replied. "What I do not know is _why_ you are smiling."

"Many wonderful reasons," Tim happily replied. "Because you basically said that you love me; because we can pursue this relationship without either one of us leaving NCIS; and because you are in my arms and I do not have to let you go," he finished, giving her a tight squeeze before loosening his hold, yet still keeping her in his arms.

Ziva fell silent as she listened to his heartbeat, thinking about what he had said.

"Ziva?" he asked, not sure why she had gone silent.

"If needed, I would have left the team or NCIS," she softly replied. "Like you, I believe our relationship is worth it."

"I'm just glad that we don't have to make that choice," he confessed.

"And you will have to let me go eventually," she continued.

"I do?" he automatically asked.

Ziva grinned and leaned back to look him in the eye, "Those vows are not very convincing."

Tim raised an eyebrow, "That's because I don't plan on vowing to let you go," he informed her steadily meeting her gaze.

"Yes, well," she blushed, hoping it wasn't noticeable with her complexion, "You _will_ have to. I doubt Gibbs would allow us to stay on his team if we remain attached at the hip so to speak."

Tim grinned, "How about attached at the lips?" he asked before leaning down to give her a brief kiss.

"And I do love you," she said softly staring into his eyes so he could gauge the truth of her words. That was what had made her speechless earlier, his comment that he was happy that she had 'basically' said that she loved him. It had made her realize that she hadn't yet spoken those words out loud, that she hadn't shared her feelings with him.

"I do as well," he firmly vowed before swooping down and kissing her again, this time allowing the kiss to be longer and more passionate. As was said earlier, Gibbs wouldn't let them do so at work after today.

* * *

Despite feeling the need to barge into Conference Room 3 to convince Tim not to resign, and to seek some answers to his many questions, Tony headed down to autopsy. After all, since Ducky and Jimmy were in the bullpen he knew it would be empty, making it a great place to be alone and think without interruptions. He knew that there was no way he could just sit there, not after finding out about Ziva and Tim. God, what kind of investigator was he if he never picked up on what was going on with his teammates?

His mind ran through the interactions between his coworkers these last few months. Nothing really stood out, well, okay, so Ziva seemed to be more annoyed than amused by Tony whenever he teased or pranked McGee. The two had also seemed closer, seemed to know each other better even after Probie's car was returned to him. _And_ they still carpooled together, even on Wednesdays, Probie's usual dinner date with Peggy. Which would totally make sense if Ziva _was_ Peggy, Tony thought, still not sure that was the case. Of course, if she was, the records Abby found regarding the GPS on Tim's car and phone made a lot more sense.

Maybe it was like a movie plot. Girl meets boy, attraction develops, Tony grimaced at that thought, but continued his synopsis, yet circumstances-Rule 12-kept them apart. They decide not to pursue a relationship with each other and instead date other people, maintaining that they are 'just good friends' yet spending majority of their time together-even outside of work, yet the two are still in denial about their feelings. Then something happens-Probie gets injured-and they both realize what was in front of them the entire time. Tony nodded, definitely Hollywood material he thought, though whether or not that is what happened, he might never know.

Then his mind started replaying the conversation he had heard. Two things struck out the most. The fact that Ziva never shared her feelings, sure, she seemed happy when Tim confessed his feelings for her, but she never reciprocated; and that McGee had resigned. Tony couldn't help but wonder if these two pieces of information were connected. Did Tim quit because he thought Ziva didn't care for him in the same way and his heart couldn't handle being around her? Or did he quit because of Gibbs's infamous Rule 12? There was also the possibility that Probie might have quit because of how he had been treated by his coworkers. That last one was really messing with Tony's head, he realized as he rubbed at his temples.

"Hey!"

Tony jumped and dropped his hands. "Jeez, Abby," he hissed. "Take some care, will ya?"

Abby just shrugged. "Noticed you down here, figured we should talk."

"About what?"

Abby rolled her eyes, "Tim and Ziva,"

"Nothing to talk about, it doesn't concern us," Tony retorted. No way was he being dragged into one of Abby's schemes. He had too much to lose.

"Something's hinky about them as a couple," she finished, ignoring Tony's words.

Tony stared at her, "What makes you say that?"

"It's Timmy and Ziva," she replied as if that explained everything.

"Yeah and over a month ago, you were convinced that they would make a great couple."

"Well, yeah, but that was because I didn't really think it was gonna happen," she explained. "I was mostly talking about it because of how you reacted when I did."

"I don't have time for this," Tony said as he shook his head. "I should probably head back upstairs," he added.

"They aren't back yet," Abby stated. "We have plenty of time to go through this recent evidence."

Tony frowned, "Abby, it's not evidence. It's a conversation that we overheard but shouldn't have."

She rolled her eyes again. "Neither one actually said 'I love you'," she pointed out. "They talked about their relationship and love, but neither one actually said it," she repeated. "For all we know they meant friendship and _that_ kind of love."

Tony just shrugged, he had noticed that with Ziva, but then again, that was Ziva. He honestly couldn't remember if Tim had actually said those words or not, but he had definitely implied them.

"Timmy can't lie about his feelings," Abby continued. "He wouldn't say the words unless he _really_ meant them, and if he did mean them, nothing can keep him from saying them. Hell, he even writes _poetry_ about his feelings. I'm telling you, something hinky is going on."

Another shrug, "Yeah, well," Tony replied, not sure what to say. "We have more important things to think about."

Abby frowned, "Like what? Even if they aren't really a couple I doubt Timmy will file a complaint about us."

"Abby, why did Gibbs notice us outside the conference room door?"

Abby glared at him, "Because _you_ tried to barge in."

"Yeah," he replied dismissively. "But _why_ did I do that?"

She shrugged, "Probably because you got upset at something McGee said about you. He was talking a lot about how you don't respect him."

Tony shook his head, deciding not to mention that that was said about both of them. Instead, he got straight to his point, "Ziva mentioned that Tim resigned," he reminded her.

"Oh, that," she waved her hand. "Like it would really happen. He probably just did that hoping Gibbs would beg him to stay, or to scare us into feeling guilty about what happened. Now I need to analyze all the data and evidence and figure out what was really going on," Abby informed him. "And if you come up to the lab and help me, I'm sure we can figure it out sooner. We really should get it done before they return to the bullpen," she added.

Tony shook his head as he stood up to leave autopsy, "Nope, whatever you are planning or thinking, count me out," Tony instructed.

* * *

"Don't make me toss a bucket of cold water on the two of you," a voice growled, breaking into the couple's reality.

Embarrassed, Tim removed his lips from his girlfriend and returned his hands to her waist before lifting his head to find Gibbs standing inside the conference room glaring at them. Staying within Tim's embrace, Ziva turned to also face the older man.

"We…I…we were just" he stuttered.

"I saw what you were 'just'," Gibbs commented dryly. "Just know that after today, it isn't a bucket of water I'll be throwing at ya," he warned.

Nodding in acknowledgement that at worst he meant pink slip or at best, a write up for unprofessional conduct, Tim responded, "Got it, boss."

"Yes, Gibbs," Ziva also acknowledged the warning for what it was.

Neither one of them were surprised by the older man's words and still basking in the glow of their newly discovered love wouldn't let it depress them.

"Um," Tim hesitated, not sure how to say what he wanted to know. "Why are…Is there something…Do we need…"

Gibbs shook his head in amusement, "Not yet," he replied knowing what Tim was asking. "But we should probably return to the bullpen soon, so if there is anything the two of you need to _discuss_ ," he emphasized that word, glaring at them, "Now is the time."

"Right," Tim responded looking at Ziva inquiringly. He believed he had said everything he needed to.

"I do have one thing I would like to know," Ziva answered his unspoken question.

"Shoot," Tim happily replied.

Ziva stepped out of his arms and turned to face him, "Did you skip your medication this morning or did you still take it and drive yourself to work?"

At her question, Gibbs smirked and left the room, once more closing the door behind him. As he did so, he wondered if Tim knew that there wasn't a right answer to that question.

"I-no," Tim began.

"No? As in you are not going to tell me?" she angrily huffed, cutting him off. "Timothy, you can't ignore your health. I would have been upset with either one because of the risks you were taking," she admitted. "But no where as near as upset as I am now because you refuse to answer. Tim, if we are going to make this- _us_ -work, we need to talk to one another, you cannot shut me out. We had no problems being honest with one another while we were pretending. This," she waved a hand between the two of them, "Will not last if we don't keep up that communication." Her expression softened, "I am only asking because I care, because I do not want to see you in pain, prolonging your recover, or getting hurt by doing somethin-"

Many times during her rant, Tim tried to get her to stop talking and listen to him. At one point he even thought about whistling like Gibbs had earlier. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that wouldn't have the same impact, and would just make her angrier at him. Well, there was one more thing he could try, something that seemed to work in the movies.

"No as in neither," Tim replied after shutting her up with a kiss. "I took my medication and had Sarah drop me off here. I was hoping, er thinking, that if things worked out you would be able to drive me home."

"Oh. Oh, Tim, I am so sorry," she apologized as she realized what she had done again. "I should have allowed you to answer my question instead of jumping to conclusions."

"It's okay," Tim told her before leaning own to give her a quick kiss, "Besides, I rather enjoyed getting your attention that way."

"It will always work," she promised, smiling at him. "But I will do better in allowing you the opportunity to speak."

Tim thanked her with a kiss, keeping it in check since he was aware that Gibbs was still in the hallway.

"So, will you give me a ride home?" Tim asked looking at Ziva, "I know a great place we can get takeout and head back to my place to continue this."

"It _is_ Wednesday," she responded, smiling at him.

"The perfect day for a mid-week date," he agreed, returning her grin.

* * *

"She's not his girlfriend," Abby announced as Tony approached her.

After leaving autopsy, Tony went outside for some fresh air. After a few minutes, he decided that he had better head back to his desk, he didn't want to give Gibbs another reason to be mad at him. He was surprised to find Abby on the second floor stairwell landing.

"There is no way _Ziva_ could possibly be interested in him. Timmy is definitely not the kind of guy hot girls like Ziva date," she continued.

Tony stared back at her, "Um, didn't you date him, for like a year?"

Abby waved her hand dismissively. "That's different," she argued. "We had the science thing in common, they don't. Besides," she smirked at him. "As someone who knows Tim so well, I know what he is _really_ like. He's way too boring for someone like Ziva," she stated. "He would be perfectly fine staying in, eating a home cooked meal, and watching Sleepless in Seattle," she shivered at the thought.

"Ordering take out and watching the Karate Kid trilogy," Tony absently mumbled under his breath.

"He's too eager to please," she continued. "I mean, yeah, it _sounds_ good, but gets old really quickly."

"Willing to go to an amusement park, even if he does hate heights and gets seasick," Tony muttered.

"And he might _technically_ be a field agent, and some girls might dig that and be impressed by it, but Ziva isn't one of them."

Tony frowned at that, "What do you mean _technically?_ He is a field agent."

Abby rolled her eyes. "Technically," she repeated. "He carries a weapon and the badge and goes into the field, usually for the initial crime scene, but, except this last month," she added, "more often than not Gibbs leaves him here to find leads on the computer or to help me in the lab. Which, let's face it, is much more appropriate for Timmy to be doing."

Tony stared at her, "Isn't that your best friend you are talking about?"

She shrugged, not concerned by his question or his tone of disgust, "Then I would know, wouldn't I?"

Tony just shook his head, amazed by her attitude, "Look, Abby, I'm saying this because I care, about you, about Tim, about the team," Tony stated, meeting her eyes. "Things need to change. You and I need to change," he clarified. "Both of us have taken advantage of Tim for too long; have abused the trust he placed in us. You don't own him. He is free to live his own life. And it is quite possible that he will chose to exclude us from that life," Tony added, not wanting her to be surprised if that scenario came to pass.

"As if," Abby retorted. "Timmy needs me. He knows he can't cut me out of his life. He's tried to distance himself in the past, but he always comes back."

"I think you are overestimating your hold on him," Tony replied dryly, "Especially now," he said as he shook his head. "Life at NCIS isn't going to be the same, not after today" he warned. "I suggest you take a deep look at yourself, your actions at work, and your relationships, especially with McGee. Things will be never be the way they were, I guarantee that."

She snorted, "You're just saying that because you believe your two teammates have hooked up. You're afraid to be on Ziva's bad side."

Tony shook his head, "This has nothing to do with Ziva," he argued. "This is about how we treated McGee. We never should have gotten away with all the stuff we did. It is past time that we grew up, took responsibility for our actions and change how things are. _It will never be the same_ ," he repeated, stressing those words.

"You better believe that they will never be the same if Timmy doesn't apologize soon for ignoring me and yelling at me."

Tony flashed a genuine smile, temporarily sidetracked, "He yelled at you?" He made a mental note to slap Tim on the back for that.

Abby scrunched up her nose, "The morning he was attacked," she admitted before shrugging dismissively. "I don't really remember what it was about," she confessed. "Of course, I have no doubt that as soon as he sees me the first thing he'll probably do is apologize for that. I'll forgive him, eventually," she added with a smirk.

Tony closed his eyes as he shared his thoughts, "There are so many things wrong with what you just said." Shaking his head and opening his eyes, Tony stared at her, "First, you just said he had better apologize and now you're saying that you're not going to accept it right away?" he questioned.

She snorted, "Of course not. How else will I get him to do whatever I ask if he's already forgiven? Though until Gibbs's returns to normal I should probably be nicer to him," she noted.

Tony stared at her in horror as a thought came to his mind. "Oh, god, you never really cared about him, did you? He was just someone you could manipulate into doing what you wanted. Well, I'm telling you right now, that ends here. No more. God, I can't believe that for all my talk about being concerned and trying to protect him, I never even thought about protecting him from you. Knowing that the two of you shared a past, I just stayed away from that one. God, I can't believe he never told anyone about this."

"Who would he tell?" Abby snorted, not denying his accusations. "You would just tease him and make a comment about him being whipped; Gibbs would take my side, regardless of anything McGee had to say; Ducky would be sympathetic, but wouldn't intervene; Ziva never cared what Timmy did, that's part of why I don't believe the two are dating," she snidely added. "And he would never go to the director, especially Jenny since she never seemed that impressed with him. He might have gone to Vance," she began before smirking at Tony, "if you hadn't colored Vance's opinion of him by tricking him into not volunteering for Iraq years ago."

"He really was alone," Tony muttered in despair, as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"Except for me," Abby smiled triumphantly, "Because he's mine."

"No, he's not yours, now he's Ziva's," Tony contradicted before pushing past her and taking the stairs too at a time. As he reentered the bullpen, Tony silently vowed to protect Tim from Abby.

* * *

"Um, is there anything else we need to talk about that can't wait until tonight?" Tim asked his girlfriend.

"I…no. It is not my business," Ziva finally replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Hey," he called as he lifted her chin so their eyes met. "As far as I'm concerned, everything that involves me _is_ your business. That's part of loving each other."

Ziva slowly nodded. "Okay," she agreed before adding a disclaimer. "Remember, if you cannot or do not want to tell me or talk about it,"

"I'll tell you that," he promised.

"I want to know how you _really_ feel about what Tony and Abby did. What do you think Vance will do? What if it is not enough? What if they do not change? Will you be able to work with them? Trust them?"

Tim blinked in shock, for some reason, he hadn't expected that, though he probably should have. "Um…"

"It is okay," Ziva injected, "You do not have to speak of it."

Tim shook his head, "No, it's okay. Just took me a bit to switch gears. I was expecting you to mention something about _us_ , our relationship, not work," he explained his hesitation. "It hurt," he admitted. "Even if they didn't mean it in a malicious way. I know I said that Tony had no respect for my privacy, that the two months between Valentine's and April Fool's Day was going to be intolerable, but I honestly never expected anything like this. That he would stake out my apartment, follow me. That Abby would track the GPS on my phone and car; pull my phone bills," Tim sighed. "But I have to believe that things will be different. I have to give them a chance to change, for my sake at least," he stated.

"As for consequences," Tim shrugged. "I've talked with Vance a couple of times regarding this. And Gibbs and I talked a bit today before you joined us. I do not know for sure what Vance has in mind, there were a couple of different options," he shared. "I'm going to have to trust that he does what is right for NCIS and for all of us. If it isn't enough, or if things don't change, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I did share my opinions and the changes I hope for as a result of what happens next, and Vance seemed to agree with me, so hopefully things will work out satisfactory," Tim concluded, waiting to see what else Ziva had to say on this subject.

"And what is it that you hope to see?"

"I love our NCIS family and I don't want to lose it," he began. "Yes, Tony is too invasive, but by not saying anything before, _I_ made it acceptable behavior. I'm not blaming myself," he told her when Ziva's eyes started sparking with anger. "But I shouldn't have expected Tony to stop and change when I didn't change how I reacted to his actions. It was easier to shut up and ignore everything, but well, look at where we are now because of that. Obviously I couldn't trust that Tony would know where the limits and boundaries were. That will change, regardless of Vance's stance."

"But what do you hope to see changed?"

Tim smiled at her persistence. "At the least I hope for a more respectful and professional relationship with Tony. I have learned a lot from him and obviously the good has outweighed the bad or I would've left years ago. I do trust Tony in the field; in my home or with details about my personal life, not as much. I'm sure he would be there if I ever called him because something serious happened," he shared. "But the day to day stuff?" Tim shrugged, "Well, I would need to be sure that he's changed before we have a closer personal relationship."

"And Abby?"

Tim exhaled slowly. "That situation is a little more complicated," he reluctantly admitted.

"Because of your past relationship," she stated coldly. Even though she knew about their history together before she met them, she still did not like being reminded of it.

Suspecting what she was thinking and feeling, Tim leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, "I am yours, only yours" he reminded her before replying to her statement. "No. That relationship has been over for a long time," he stated. "In fact, if we hadn't worked together, I probably wouldn't have been talking to her these last few years."

Ziva's eyebrow rose at that intel. "Then why is it complicated?"

"Let's just say that there is more going on than what she did to me," Tim answered. "And because I don't even have all the details, I feel I cannot talk about it."

"Fair enough," Ziva nodded her understanding.

"Anything else?" Tim asked.

Ziva smirked at him, "Just a few more things," she replied before pulling him closer and bringing his lips down for a kiss.

Several minutes later, the two finally separated, hearing the door open.

"To be continued after dinner," Ziva whispered as Gibbs stepped into the room.

"I take it you talked about everything?" he wryly asked.

Tim nodded and Ziva shook her head. At the men's inquiring glance, she said, "Except when, where, and how we are going to tell our coworkers about our relationship."

"Oh, God," Tim muttered, forgetting about that.

Seeing the look on Gibbs's face and guessing what it was about, Ziva continued, "We already agreed not to inform Tony or anyone else about the plan. However, we will have to share the news about our romantic relationship to them at some point."

Gibbs shook his head, "Not something you have to worry about," he said as he turned and stepped out of the conference room door.

Tim and Ziva exchanged alarming looks before quickly chasing after him.

"What?"

"Why?" Tim and Ziva asked respectively when they met up with Gibbs who was waiting for them in the hallway.

"Let's just say you had an audience earlier," Gibbs smirked as he started down the hallway.

"Wait," Tim instructed, stepping in front of Gibbs to stop him from taking another step forward.

"Who was there and what exactly do they know?"

* * *

Abby stomped off the elevator and over to Tony who was sitting at his desk, trying to work on his report. She stood there a few minutes tapping her foot as she impatiently waited for Tony to acknowledge her. She had already been upset by what Timmy and Ziva were trying to do, but the fact that Gibbs and possibly Ducky and Jimmy were involved as well really made her blood boil. Add the fact that Tony had walked away from her had her seeing red.

"He is not Ziva's, he's _mine_ ," she repeated, tired of being ignored. "I've known him longer, I got him this job, I found him Jethro, he's mine."

Tony's sat back at his desk in surprise at her outburst. "Abby,"

"And if you had helped me continue our investigation, or didn't distract me as I tried to report my findings, you would know that she is not really his girlfriend, especially with the new evidence recently presented."

"Abby," Tony repeated, "I saw and heard the same thing you did. It is quite possible that Tim and Ziva are a couple."

"If anything is going on with Ziva, it won't last, in fact," She smirked, "I have a feeling that they are just together for the day."

"Huh?" Tony questioned, confused by what she said. Not even Probie could mess up a relationship so quickly.

"They are a couple for today only," she said. "April 1? April Fool's Day?" she prompted. "Anyone who really believes that they could be a couple is a _fool_."

Tony stared at her in amazement. He has never known anyone who can flip sides and opinions as often as Abby. "Earlier you were happy that they were together and now you say that they really aren't?"

"I analyzed the evidence," she retorted. "Trust me, they aren't really together. We would've known."

Tony just shook his head. Relationships were almost sacrosanct to McGee, he wouldn't lie or fake a relationship. Besides, Tim and Ziva didn't even know they were listening, right?

"Not if they wanted to keep it a secret," Tony explained, silently admitting that they would have ample reasons for keeping it hidden. "There's Rule 12, plus Tim is a private person," he pointedly added.

"Nope, not true."

"Seriously, Abs, why won't you just admit that it might be true?"

"Because she knows that regardless of what happens with Vance regarding her previous actions, I will not let her get away with how she treats Tim," Ziva injected as she entered the bullpen.

This was the first time Tony saw Ziva since he learned that she and Tim were together. That information shouldn't change how he saw Ziva, yet somehow it did.

Tony nodded, deciding to think about why that was true at a later time, preferable when he was alone. "That explains last Monday as well as the last few months," he quietly stated.

Ziva just met his eyes not commenting.

"Oh, come on, Tony," Abby shouted, "You can't still believe that _Ziva_ is dating _McGee_ ," she added with a laugh of disbelief. "I'm telling you, it's an April Fool's day joke."

Tony thought about it again for another moment, "Yeah, I disagree with you," he slowly replied. "It would make a great joke and I wish I thought of it," he admitted, "but I can't imagine Tim doing something like that."

Ziva just smirked at him. Maybe Tony would be ready for the truth sooner than they think.

"Then who is Sandy?" Abby demanded to know.

"You should know," Gibbs stated as he entered the bullpen, glaring at Abby. "You investigated her."

Tony's and Ziva's mouth dropped open in surprise while Abby tightly closed hers.

"You also called her a couple of times to yell at her for not visiting me in the hospital," Tim added, joining the conversation.

"Whoa," Tony muttered in surprise. Not even he had the gall to do that. Yeah, he wanted to contact her, but that was when he thought she was Tim's girlfriend and needed to know about what happened.

"Well, she isn't that good of a girlfriend since she didn't come and visit you in the hospital."

Tim rolled his eyes, "She's not my girlfriend."

Abby scoffed, "You can't seriously think that I would believe that _Ziva_ is dating you, could you? Besides, who else would Sandy be? Why else would you trust her with Jethro?"

Ziva tensed at her first words while Tim just shook his head in disbelief, though part of him wanted to say 'told you so' to Ziva since he predicted that reaction. "She's my new dog walker." Tony snickered, earning a glare from Tim. "Hey, it's a great arrangement. She lives in the building, so is close by when I'm working late and don't contact her until the last minute. Plus, she wants to give her kids the responsibility of pet ownership without all of the hassles."

"Smart woman," Tony acknowledged. "Cute too," he admitted, causing Tim to roll his eyes again.

"Back to your calls and investigation," Gibbs injected, deciding that no new information would be forthcoming.

"I was just looking out for my Timmy," Abby explained, turning to Gibbs, eyes widened to portray innocence.

"He is not yours," Tony and Ziva snapped, both of them glaring at Abby.

"He was mine first," Abby smirked.

Before Ziva could retort or attack the scientist, Tim wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear before replying, "I was never really yours," he argued. "We never had a real relationship. What we had doesn't even come close to what Ziva and I have. This relationship is truly one of equality. We make each other better, stronger. I know that I can count on her, to support me, love me, help me. Everything is equal and reciprocal, the love and support we share, the joy, the sorrow, everything. She makes me stronger, better and I hope I have the same impact on her."

"You do," Ziva murmured, snuggling back against his chest.

Tim smiled. While normally he wasn't much for Public Displays of Affection, especially at work, he figured this was an unusual case. He placed a kiss on the top of Ziva's head before meeting Abby's eyes. "Which in some ways is kind of sad, and says a lot about you and our relationship, since we saw each other for almost a year and Ziva and I have only been together for a few months."

"How many months?" Tony immediately asked before clasping his hands over his mouth and mumbling "Sorry. Forget I asked that."

Tim shook his head but before he could get a chance to say another word, Vance's voice called down from the catwalk, ordering all of them to join him in his office.

* * *

7-6-19


	94. Apr-October, Epilogue (J94)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

This just might be the longest epilogue ever...

* * *

Apr-October, Epilogue) J94

When the team finally returned to the bullpen, Gibbs had told his agents that once he received their final reports, they would be dismissed for the day. Normally that would be a treat since it was barely noon, but today, after the meeting with the director, it didn't feel that way.

Abby was the first subject broached by the Director, partly because of her involvement with Sandy, Tim's neighbor as well as the fact that she still didn't see anything wrong with her action. That talk definitely did not go the way she hoped, especially since Gibbs never defended her. Once the discussion involving her ended, she was directed to leave the office, escorted by security. Her six week suspension, in which only two weeks were paid, was to begin immediately. She stomped out of the room glaring at everyone as soon as she did. The rest of the team were glad that she had been warned by Vance that if she caused a scene or spoke a word about this to anyone before the end of the work day, she would be dismissed from her position with prejudice. For the first time that Tim could remember, it seemed like Abby had actually listened and followed instructions, of course that could have been because security was there watching her every move.

Vance then dealt with Gibbs's team as a group, each of them listening and learning about the other's actions and consequences. Once they had been dismissed, Tony had stood up and left the director's office and returned to his desk without saying a word the entire time. He had been quiet during most of the meeting and since returning to the bullpen still hadn't spoken, only giving a nod of acknowledgment regarding Gibbs's orders.

Tim and Ziva had not spoken to each other during the meeting, unless asked a direct question that forced them to do so, but the squeezing of hands, light caresses on arms or backs in silent support had said all they needed to at the time. After being dismissed, Tim stood and held a hand out to Ziva to help her stand up. They had left Vance's office the same way they entered, hand in hand. It was only Gibbs, who left the office a few minutes after them, clearing his throat and glancing at their hands when the couple reached the bottom of the stairs that had them releasing their hold on each other.

The bullpen was silent except for the clacking of the keyboard as all of them worked on their reports. Unsurprisingly, Tim was the first one done. Part of this was because he had spent some time working on it during his recovery, another reason was because of his injuries, he had been less involved and therefore had less to report.

Rather than remain seated at his desk, he had decided to go downstairs to see Ducky.

"Ah, Timothy," Ducky greeted the moment the autopsy doors opened.

"Hey, Ducky," Tim returned, not sure what else to say.

"Come in, come in," Ducky waved him over to one of the tables. "Up. I want to make sure you are heeling properly."

Tim rolled his eyes but did as requested.

"Long day?" Ducky asked seeing Tim roll his neck and shoulders.

"It's barely noon," Tim commented dryly.

"Often the time has no direct correlation to the duration of an event," Ducky informed the younger man. "Many other factors, however, do contribute. For instance, your health, well-being, state of mind, your companions, your activities,"

"Like intense meetings with the Director and heartfelt conversations," Tim added understanding the point the doctor was trying to make.

"Yes, yes," Ducky agreed. "And on that note, I owe you an apology and explanation."

"What?" A confused Tim asked.

"It was I who made Anthony stay outside the conference room to listen in on your meeting with Ziva and Jethro. Oh," Ducky clarified when Tim shot him a look, "Not to _hear_ your conversation, though we couldn't help but do so," he admitted, "But to help me keep control of Abigail. Once Anthony realized that Abigail was determined to stay, he announced his intentions of returning to his desk. He even headed in that direction," the older man shared. "I asked him for his help. He immediately protested and while he was debating his options I commandeered him and Mr. Palmer in an effort to prevent Abigail from interrupting a memorable moment for you and Ziva."

Tim snorted, "Quite memorable, declaring our feelings for one another in a conference room at NCIS." Tim was glad that he hadn't known about the eavesdroppers, if he had he wasn't sure he would have been able to continue.

"Hmm, yes, I suppose it's not the idyllic romantic location one would hope for," the older man commented.

Tim shrugged before admitting, "Definitely wasn't what I had planned."

"Oh?" Ducky inquired in his typical non-evasive way. When Tim opened his mouth to reply, the ME ordered, "Hold that thought. Now when was the last time you took your medications?"

"This morning before I left for NCIS," Tim stated before giving the exact time.

Ducky glared at him, "I do hope you didn't drive yourself," he stated sternly.

"No, Sarah dropped me off; I had planned on catching a ride home with Ziva."

"Good. Er, Ziva will be talking you home, right?" Tim nodded. "And you have your next dose on you? It should be taken on time and I doubt you will be home by them," Ducky added receiving another nod. "Good, good. Now, what were you saying about what you had planned?"

Tim grinned and shook his head, "Just that Ziva brought it on herself. She was the one who interrupted my meeting with Gibbs rather than wait."

Ducky peered at Tim, "I believe that she waited long enough for you to declare yourself. The two of you have been seeing each other for a couple of months, yet never defined your relationship."

Tim stared at the older man wondering exactly what he knew. "Well, she hadn't made any attempts to do so either."

Ducky nodded, "It might be old fashioned of me," he admitted, "But in a relationship, like a dance, I believe that the man should lead."

"I guess," Tim concurred. Though, as he told Abby, the relationship between him and Ziva was one of equals, something he was very glad about.

"You are doing well," Ducky confirmed. "Make sure you report anything unusual," he stated before listing the thing to look out for. "How long before your doctor expects you to be cleared for field duty?"

"Should be by the end of the month," Tim supplied.

"Good, but don't push it, Timothy," he warned. "Better to take some extra time now than to come back too soon and risk permanent disability."

Tim nodded.

"Now, tell me more about that girlfriend of yours," Ducky grinned. "Why on earth would Tony call her Peggy?"

Tim snorted before explaining that to the medical examiner. He refused to divulge the nicknames Tony used for him as Ziva's boyfriend.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Tim asked a silent Ziva as they drove away from the Navy Yard later that afternoon.

"I should be asking you that question," Ziva replied, glancing at him quickly before returning her eyes to the road.

Tim shrugged. "I'm fine. Ducky examined me, plus I just took another dosage of medication."

Ziva spared him another glance, "I am not referring to your injury, though I am glad that you are well in that regard."

"I know," Tim admitted with a sigh. "It's amazing that such a short day can feel so long."

"A lot has happened," she agreed, reaching over to give his hand a squeeze.

Tim turned his hand so that they were now clasped together. Raising them up to his lips, he placed a kiss on the back of her hand before stating, "I wouldn't change any of it."

She gave him s disbelieving look. "Really? Including declaring our feelings for one another in front of Gibbs with half of NCIS listening in? "

Tim shrugged not commenting on her exaggeration, "Saved us from deciding how to tell them."

Ziva laughed, "True," she agreed.

"And," he said, turning to grin at her, "It kinda seemed fitting that it happened there."

"What? Why?"

"Well, we met there, became friends because we worked together there, we began our relationship to give me some peace in there," Tim summarized. "It seems appropriate that we finally declared our feelings there."

Ziva shook her head in disbelief.

"Of course, what would make it perfect, completing the circle so to speak, would be if we got engaged there, had the wedding there…" he trailed off.

Ziva snorted, "I refuse to have my honeymoon at the Navy Yard, a Navy Ship, or any Naval Base. And," she added, stealing a glance at him, "I will not name any of my children NCIS, or have those be their initials."

"Okay, I'll agree to those conditions," Tim readily stated, laughing with her.

"What would you have done if I had not interrupted your meeting with Gibbs?" she curiously asked after their laughter had dissipated.

Tim shrugged, turning away to hide the look as his face, "I would've figured something out," he replied, trying to sound casual and unworried.

Ziva rolled her eyes, like she was to believe that he was going to wing it. "Were you surprised by what Vance said and did?" She softly asked, returning to the original subject.

Tim fell silent as he thought about that meeting. "Actually, yeah," he admitted. "I hadn't really talked to him about Abby's actions towards Sandy", he stated. "Though, I do admit that I strongly suggested to Sandy that she file a complaint against Abby," he added.

"I am surprised she still has a job," Ziva admitted.

"It's Abby. If she knows how to kill and leave no forensic evidence behind, you can bet that she also knows every law, rule, and regulation and how to cover her own ass. She never talked to Sandy in person, so Sandy can't ID her. She used my initial background check on Sandy to get most of her information, before wiping the system clean. There is no proof she did this on NCIS's time or with their resources. Almost everything is circumstantial. She knew exactly how much she could get away with. And Sandy's complaint is against Abby personally, not against NCIS," he reminded her. "No doubt, that is why Vance did what he did. He probably had limited options."

Ziva nodded. "I was still surprised," she admitted. "It seems like a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time."

Tim shrugged, "Some of them already existed, just weren't utilized," he admitted. "And the rest would be good to have in place anyway. They probably should have been implemented after Chip framed Tony for murder."

"And you are really okay with what Vance decided?"

He nodded, "I had hoped that Abby would realize that everything she had done was wrong, but after listening to her talking with Tony, it became evident that she was never going to change. Overall, I think this will be a good thing for NCIS."

Ziva nodded as she thought about everything that would be taking place in the next six weeks. "A complete overhaul of the Forensics Lab: computer hardware and software programs being monitored; phone lines recorded; security video camera's recording every inch of the labs; new procedures and assignment roster," she shook her head. "When Abby comes back from her suspension she will not only have to learn where everything is and how it is now done, but will also have to share the space with others."

Tim shrugged, for the most part he agreed with the Director's decision to add more staff in the lab. The new set up will have a lead scientist, two forensic scientist, and three lab techs, along with the possibility of an intern.

"She was very surprised to learn that she was not receiving a promotion and was in fact not even a candidate for the lead scientist position," Ziva stated.

Another shrug, Tim wasn't surprised at all to learn that.

"Do you think she will return to NCIS?"

"Honestly, I am not sure," he finally answered a few minutes later after thinking about the question. "I don't think she'll quit during her suspension. She probably thinks that she can sweet talk her way into that position, especially if she, er, persuades the lead to quit."

Ziva nodded, understanding what Tim meant.

"I do not see her being happy at NCIS anymore," Ziva admitted. "Not if all those changes are enforced."

"I don't really think she'll change and fit in with the new vision Vance has for the lab," Tim agreed. "Even with the counseling sessions and seminars Vance is requiring her to attend."

Ziva nodded, tired of discussing the forensic scientist. "And Tony?"

Tim grimaced at that question as he now knew what was in store for the SFA. "I know he didn't enjoy his first stint as Agent Afloat and thought of it as punishment, this time," Tim paused and shrugged, "I hate to use that term, but, well, it fits and it kinda is a punishment. Especially since he's a Floating Agent Afloat. Add in the three week suspension, one of which is unpaid," Tim shook his head, "I wouldn't be surprised if he spent most of those three weeks looking for another job and leaving NCIS so he doesn't have to go afloat."

Ziva jerked the wheel in shock, before straightening it back out, "You think that might happen?"

"Not sure. As I said, I know he didn't enjoy it before. He might stick it out, pay his dues, so to speak. We'll probably know more with how he is tomorrow."

Ziva nodded, "It is unusual for a suspension to be delayed like that, is it not?"

"Very," Tim agreed. That was part of what surprised him the most. "But it kind of makes sense. Tony stays with the team while I continue to recover and attends some of those seminars that Vance required as well as the ones he recommends. After his suspension, Tony will work on multiple ships, covering while the Agent Afloat is on vacation. He probably wishes he was suspended longer rather than have another stint as agent afloat," Tim concluded.

"Vance was very methodical," Tim realized. "Abby is out of the office while everything is redone, she returns after her new coworkers have started their positions, and in fact have been at it long enough to have settled in. Tony will be bounced from ship to ship, working alone, and filling a need so the agents get the time off they deserve and desire."

"But why the delay on the suspension?" Ziva wondered out loud.

Ever since Vance announced the dates of Tony's suspension, Tim had thought about the possible reasons for the delay. "Most likely a couple of reasons, possibly to align with the vacation schedule of the other agents. Sure, Vance probably could have lengthened Tony's suspension, but I don't think that would've been justified," Tim admitted. "Another reason would be because if he was to be shipped out tomorrow, it wouldn't give us time to deal with everything that happened. It would be old news by the time Tony returned to the bullpen. As I said, we will learn a lot by how Tony conducts himself and interacts with us before he leaves. Plus there is the fact that with me recovering, you and Gibbs would either have been stuck on cold cases most of that time. It's tough enough being one man down, but working a case while down two in the field?" Tim shook his head at that thought.

"It would serve us right for how we treated you," Ziva stated.

"Ziva,"

"No," Ziva interrupted, shaking her head. "I know you do not believe that all of us were at fault, but we were. For now, we will agree to disagree."

"I'm not disagreeing with you," Tim replied. "But you also have to see that I'm not blameless either."

"More so than the rest of us," Ziva commented.

"And since Vance," Tim paused as he weighted his words, "reprimanded the rest of you, I should have to face some consequences as well."

Ziva sighed, "What did you do?"

Tim shot her a look before replying, "After talking to Ducky, I called the Director," Tim admitted.

"If you resigned…" Ziva's voice trailed off, her tone full of warning.

"I didn't, but since he seemed to really be pushing those seminars…"

Ziva snorted, "Is that really a punishment for you?"

Tim frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Just that out of all of us, you are the most academically inclined," she pointed out. "Sitting trapped in a room while someone tries to teach you something new, like how to hold onto your temper or be a better team player or an effective leader is something you might enjoy, while the rest of us would be chomping at the bit."

"Oh. Well, if it helps, I asked Vance to register me for the sessions _he_ thinks would be appropriate. It would be awkward to call him back and tell him I changed my mind."

Ziva shook her head, "You did what you thought was right," she stated calmly. "Which is one of the many reasons why I love you. I think it is a good thing," she added. "You will definitely walk away stronger because of it."

Tim nodded before reluctantly asking, "And you? How do you feel about your consequences?"

She shrugged, "Fine. I understand why he wants me in the classes and it could be beneficial." She was to enroll in NCIS sponsored classes designed to help new agents. Since she had never previously worked as an investigative agent or for NCIS, it was determined that it could help her understand her role as part of a team. That was suppose to have been her only obligation if she wanted to remain at NCIS, but, after trying to physically attack Abby in the Director's office, Vance enrolled her in a seminar on physical violence and anger management. "As for the seminar," she shrugged, "Maybe it will prevent me from attending another, especially if Abby does return and acts the same as she previously had."

"I think you handled the situation just fine," Tim stated, giving her a slight smile. "After all, you didn't reach for your knife or gun."

Ziva snorted, "Because I knew if I did she wouldn't have survived. Even in anger I knew I didn't want to face the consequences if I had killed her. Besides, this was a personal matter and deserved a hands on approach," she retorted, grinning at Tim.

"And that's one of the reasons why I love you," Tim smirked.

"My temper?" she questioned doubtfully.

"Nope," Tim grinned, "Your hands on approach."

Ziva couldn't help but laugh at that. "I am always willing to demonstrate that with you."

Tim nodded, "Anytime, anyplace…er, except for the ring," he added, making Ziva laugh again as he recalled some of his sparring sessions with Ziva or Kate.

"How do you think Gibbs feels about his assignment?" Tim asked once their laughter died down.

Ziva laughed at the word 'assignment'. "Say it like it is, punishment."

Tim scrunched his nose, "If he saw it as a punishment, he will definitely be angry at me for it."

"Not your fault," Ziva reminded him softly.

Gibbs was also required to attend a couple of seminars, including some on effective leadership or your role as a leader.

"Hmph," Tim paused as he thought for a moment. "Do you think Vance got a group discount on those seminars? I mean, we're talking about over a dozen different sessions."

Ziva just shook her head before suggesting to Tim that if he really wanted to know, he could ask the director tomorrow.

* * *

"Um, I thought we wouldn't make it back here till later tonight," Tim said after he and Ziva had entered his apartment.

All of his furniture had been pushed to the side, leaving the center clear. In that area there a blanket strewn with rose petals, a couple of pillows, several candles, and bouquets of flowers. There was also plates and silverware for two, a bottle of either wine or champagne chilling on ice and two glasses present.

"Where's Jethro?" Ziva asked. Obviously the dog wasn't loose in the apartment, nor was he locked in the bedroom, it was much too quiet for that to be the case.

"Still at Gibbs's," Tim replied, placing the take-out by the edge of the blanket. "Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to set this up. Well, not and have it stay this way," he added as he started to light the candles.

"The effect isn't the same with the sun pouring in," Tim admitted once all the candles were lit and soft music played on the speakers.

Ziva took in the romantic scene, "It's perfect."

Tim gave her a shy smile before holding out his hand. Once Ziva placed hers within it, he led her to the spot on the picnic blanket he prepared for her. Once she was seated, he started to serve the food while Ziva poured their drinks.

After eating their full, the two laid against the pillows cuddled together, talking and sipping from their glasses.

"Why?" Ziva asked, looking around the room once more.

"I figured we probably would have talked before we made it back to my apartment," Tim started to explain. "I know how impatient you are, well," he corrected, "I thought I knew. I didn't expect you to barge in on me and Gibbs," he teased, causing Ziva to teasingly glare at him. "But even then, I thought we deserved something special to remember today by."

"I could never forget it," Ziva replied.

"Me neither," Tim agreed, before leaning down to kiss her.

After a few moments of kissing, Ziva pulled back, stood up and grabbed their glasses.

"Yeah," Tim agreed also standing, "we probably should clean up."

"That can wait till later," Ziva stated before handing Tim his glass and reaching for his other hand. "Let me show you how hands on I can be," Ziva whispered as she led him into his bedroom.

* * *

"McGee," Gibbs called as he and Ziva entered the bullpen the next morning. "You didn't come by to pick up your dog yesterday."

"Jethro's been watching Jethro?" Tony commented as he entered the bullpen, his voice tinged with amusement at that thought. He had exited the stairwell and stepped into the bullpen moments behind the newly revealed couple just in time to hear Gibbs's question.

"He volunteered when he took me home from the hospital," Tim informed Tony.

"What about Sandy?"

"She's a dog walker, not a dog sitter," Tim stated dryly. "Part of the reason she does this is so she won't have full responsibility of a dog. She was nice enough to help out those first few days, but I didn't want to take advantage of her."

"Why not? She's cute," Tony grinned. "Hey, speaking about taking advantage...did you two-..."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, glaring at his senior agent.

"Right, shutting up boss," Tony immediately replied.

Tim watched as Tony proceeded to took out some cold case files and got to work.

"McGee, the dog," the older man reminded him.

"Oh, er, sorry, boss," Tim replied, slightly embarrassed that he had ignored the older man. "Um, Ziva and I, er, had plans last night," he stated.

"On a work night?" Gibbs inquired suspiciously.

"Regular Wednesday night take out," Tim reported, feeling his cheeks redden as he remembered last night.

Tony frowned as he remembered something Abby had told him about Tim and his girlfriend, "You, er, Peggy, which I guess is you," Tony frowned at that thought, "was working on trying everything from the menu, weren't you?"

"I was," Ziva confirmed. "I had something I had not had before. It was delicious, I do believe it is my new favorite," she added, looking directly at Tim and licking her lips.

Tim turned away, positive that he was now redder than a tomato.

"But, um, we can get him today after work."

Gibbs shrugged, "No rush, he's good company."

"Oh. Okay, but why…" his voice trailed off as he caught sight of Tony and Ziva watching him. Tony smirking at him knowingly be he opened his mouth to say something before catching sight of Gibbs and closing it without saying a word.

"Just tell us when's a good time, and we'll come over to get him," Tim promised as he sat at his desk. He had been so distracted by both his coworkers that he had forgotten what he was going to ask the older man.

Throughout the day, Tony's gaze flitted between his three coworkers. A couple more of times his mouth opened before immediately closing as if to say something before apparently changing his mind.

* * *

"What do you make of Tony?"

Ziva frowned, "I do not know what you mean, I do not want to make anything out of Tony."

"His behavior today, what do you think of his behavior. It was weird," Tim explained.

"Definitely not Tony-like," she agreed. "He was much too quiet."

Tim nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that makes me nervous, especially since it seemed like he had a lot to say."

"His fish impression?" Ziva asked, making fishy faces.

Tim laughed.

"What? That is what he looked like," she retorted.

"Not quite," Tim grinned, "you're much cuter."

Ziva rolled her eyes at him. "You already have me, you do not need to give me false compliments."

"It's the truth," Tim retorted before redirecting their conversation. "Makes me think this isn't going to work out."

"What isn't?" Ziva nervously asked.

"Tony. The team," Tim replied, unknowingly easing her mind. "If he can't relax and talk to us, the bullpen is going to be awfully tense. It was bad enough today and we were only working on cold cases. Can you imagine what it would be like if Gibbs was constantly barking at us and we were trying to find a killer or a kidnapped child?"

"Hmm," Ziva hummed as she thought about their options. "It has only been one day, since he learned of our relationship and the consequences of his actions," she reminded him. "Maybe we should give him some more time," she suggested.

Tim shrugged, "We don't have that much to give, his suspension starts soon. "

* * *

Unfortunately the next day was tense as well. Anytime Tim or Ziva asked him what was wrong Tony would reply 'Nothing,' before ignoring them by either walking away or returning his attention to the files on his desk.

Tim and Ziva had invited Tony to lunch with them. The SFA had grinned at them and stood up from his desk. When Tim and Ziva joined hands, Tony returned to his desk, sat back down, and stated that he wasn't really that hungry. No amount of cajoling from the couple could get him to change his mind, not even allowing him to pick the place or saying that they were buying.

The main topic during their lunch was what to do about Tony. They finally decided to let him have the weekend to process things, if Tony acted the same way on Monday, not talking to them or refusing to join them for lunch, then they would press the issue.

After all, it wasn't like Tony was the only one acting strangely around them. Most of the other agents seemed to stop talking when Tim or Ziva entered a room, making them fully aware that they were the newest topic of office scuttlebutt. They could also feel everyone's eyes on them whenever they arrived or left together.

Luckily, Ducky and Jimmy didn't seem to have any issues with their relationship. In fact, both men had invited the couple over for dinner in the near future. They already knew Gibbs approved of their relationship, something that they think made the situation easier for everyone else to handle. Gibbs didn't seem to have any issues with leaving them alone in the bullpen, however, once they got a hot case, who knows if that would change.

* * *

The weekend was full of surprises.

First, on Saturday afternoon Tim had tried calling Gibbs to see if he and Ziva could swing by and reclaim Jethro, but there was no answer. Since that went against Rule 3, both of them were surprised. Of course, it could just mean that he ignores them but wasn't unreachable to Vance.

They had even taken a drive by his house, both to ease their mind in case there was a reason Gibbs didn't answer, and to get the dog. After all, Gibbs never locks his door. Tim figures he would get the dog and leave Gibbs a note if the older man wasn't at home.

The second surprise was that neither of the Jethros were there. Everything looked okay, so Tim didn't think something happened, like Jethro running off or getting hurt. Still it was strange. Ziva suggested that Gibbs had simply taken the dog on a run with him.

Sunday morning, Gibbs called Tim and offered to drop his dog off. Since they were out, Tim countered that they would just swing by and get him.

After parking and exiting the car, Tim was surprised to hear a dog barking. "That is definitely not Jethro," he informed Ziva. "And it sounds like more than one dog."

"Maybe the neighbors' dogs?"

"I guess," he agreed as they walked up the porch and into the house.

"Gibbs?" He called, expecting to hear a response coming from the basement.

"Out back," came the unexpected reply.

Exchanging glances, the two headed to the backyard where a very surprising sight greeted them.

In the backyard with both Jethros were two white dogs with black spots, making Tim think that they could be part Dalmatian.

"You starting a kennel?" Tim joked before snapping his mouth shut.

Gibbs snorted. "No. Realized that I enjoyed having a dog around," he admitted. "Went to the pet store to buy some more food,"

"Oh, god, I am so sorry I didn't give you enough supplies for him," Tim apologized. "Just let me know what I owe you."

"Three hundred and fifty dollars," Gibbs dryly replied.

"I…That's a lot of dog food," he uttered, Ziva snickering beside him.

"As I was saying," Gibbs continued his earlier tale. "I went to pick up some more dog food and apparently it was adoption weekend,"

"Oh," Tim commented, looking between Gibbs and the two new dogs, he suspected where this story was headed.

"Yeah," Gibbs agreed as he petted on of his new dogs. "Tim and Ziva took a liking to me and Jethro," he shared.

"That's goo-…Wait. Did you say Tim and Ziva?" he asked incredulously, looking at the dogs.

Gibbs shrugged, "They needed names and since you have a dog named after me, it seemed fitting."

"I…right," Tim replied, not knowing what else to say. Oh God, what would _Tony_ say once he learned that their boss named his dogs after his them.

Seeing the look on Tim's face had Gibbs barking out a laugh.

"I think the jokes on us," Ziva stated, figuring out what Gibbs found so funny.

Tim frowned, "You didn't adopt the dogs? I don't owe you $350."

Gibbs shook his head, "You don't owe me anything, and I did adopt the dogs," he admitted. "But they already had names, Teak and Duke," he added, pointing out which was which. "I just couldn't resist."

Tim snorted at the appropriate names. One named after wood, the other after a cowboy.

"Wait, so neither one of them is a girl?" Ziva asked in confusion.

* * *

Monday seemed worse than Friday, Tim thought as he stared at Tony. He had tried to talk to the other man about what he and Ziva had done over the weekend, about what had happened at Gibbs's place, but all Tony had said was, "I'm sure it was fun," before walking away.

Once more he and Ziva invited Tony to lunch, this time, Tony didn't even think about joining them, but instead pulled out a brown bag from his desk and said he was all set. In all the years they had worked together, Tim couldn't remember Tony ever bringing his lunch before.

Rather than going out to lunch, Tim and Ziva retreated to the corner where they once more discussed this situation.

Yesterday Gibbs had told them that it was up to them to set the tone for any relationship they wanted with Tony. That was proving difficult since Tony wasn't even willing to talk to them. Deciding that they weren't going to take no for an answer, they waited until Tony entered the head and confronted him there.

"Tony,"

"Geesh, Probie, how about some privacy?" he muttered.

"It is a public place," Ziva commented.

"For _men_ ," Tony snapped at her. "Or are you two now so close you share _everything_ , including bodily functions?"

"Tony," Tim began again, not wanting this to escalate and someone to say or do something they couldn't take back. "Talk to us, tell us what's going on."

"Nothing," Tony repeated the pat answer he had constantly given them.

Tim just looked at the older man, willing to wait him out.

"Do we have to do this here?" Tony finally asked.

Tim shrugged, "Well, this is the most you've talked to us since Wednesday, so I would say yes."

Tony rolled his eyes. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You, us, our relationship," Tim replied, waving a hand between him and Ziva as he said that last word.

"Hey, now, Probie, I don't know about you, but the only threesomes I participate in involves myself and _two women_ , though I can't say I'm really surprised by the offer," he drawled.

"Don't be disgusting," Tim snapped angrily before turning away. "We tried," he said to Ziva, "If he won't talk to us, we can't force him."

"I bet I can," Ziva contradicted, assessing Tony.

Tim snorted, "I don't doubt you could, honey, but if he doesn't think repairing or maintaining our friendship is worth the effort, why should we?"

"Hey! I didn't say that," Tony argued.

" _You_ didn't say anything," Tim reminded him, turning back around to give him the opportunity to prove what Tim said wasn't true.

"It's just a lot to take in," Tony finally said, right as Tim was ready to really give up.

"We gave you the weekend," Ziva commented.

Tim grinned at her before addressing Tony, "We get that. We understand it might take some time to get used to the idea of us, but why does that mean that you have to ignore us? Why can't you still talk with us, occasionally have lunch with us? Avoiding us isn't going to make you acclimate any faster," he pointed out.

"You and those MIT words," Tony muttered shaking his head.

"See that!" Tim gleefully shouted. "You haven't teased either one of us since I returned to work."

"I can't."

Tim and Ziva frowned at his words, "Why not?"

"Because it might start off as teasing, joking around about your vocabulary, your education, or your shirt,"

"What's wrong with my shirt?" Tim automatically asked before Ziva shushed him.

"But before you know it, I'll be back to the old Tony, not just mocking and insulting, but invading your privacy. Asking you questions about things that are none of my business."

"Like threesomes?" Ziva asked.

"Worse," Tony agreed. "Look," he continued seriously. "I'm skating on thin ice as it is. Both Gibbs and Vance warned me about stepping a toe out of line. Unless I want to find myself permanently afloat or out of a job it has to be this way."

"So you aren't going to talk to us about anything that isn't work related?"

Tony nodded. "Best way to make sure I don't pry into your personal life is not to say anything at all."

"Well that's just stupid," Tim muttered.

Tony shrugged, "You should know me well enough to know that I have no self-control, give me an inch and I'll take a mile."

Tim thought did know about Tony's lack of self-control, so how could he really expect this plan to work? However, Tim didn't want to ask him that, instead he wanted to find a way to fix things, not depress Tony even more.

Tim sighed, "Look, we, none of us, can work like that," he finally shared. "What exactly did Gibbs and Vance say?"

"That I need to change," Tony summed up, continuing when Tim and Ziva just stood there watching him. Sighing, he continued, "To be respectful, helpful. Realize that NCIS isn't a fraternity. That I need to know my limits, know where the boundaries are and respect them, that not everyone enjoyed my jokes and pranks, that there was a fine line between teasing, harassment and bullying," he began continuing for a few more minutes before finally concluding, "Basically they told me that I had to stop being me."

Ziva and Tim exchanged looks. "That's not what I heard," Tim finally stated.

Tony snorted, "I would think you would be glad about this."

Tim decided not to go there. "It's not the inch or mile that matters, or the toe out of line,"

"Huh?"

"It seems to me like the main point Gibbs and Vance addressed is respect. It's not about keeping silent or not being involved in your coworkers' lives. And it's not about never teasing them or playing jokes. As they said, it's about respect, consideration. You can talk, you can ask questions and tease, just, well, if I or someone else asks you to stop, be _respectful_ and do so. Don't continue or mock them because they asked you to stop. Everyone's boundaries are different. You wouldn't be Tony if you didn't push them," Tim pointed out. "But learn where those boundaries and lines are and don't cross them."

Tony grinned, feeling like himself again. "I should be able to do that."

Ziva nodded, pleased with how this conversation had gone. "What we should do is return to the bullpen," she pointed out.

As the trio settled back into their desks, their spirits lighter, Tony's glance drifted between all three desks.

"What?" Tim finally asked.

"Gibbs is gonna kill me."

"Why?" Tim asked with a frown.

"For asking all the questions I want to ask," he admitted. "Like how long you two have been seeing each other? Why didn't you tell me? How serious is it? How did Gibbs react when you told him? What do you guys have on him that made Rule 12 not an issue? Wh-"

"You're right," Tim interrupted. "Gibbs will kill you if you ask all of those questions, especially here at work."

Tony paused, "I'll have to space them out, ask a couple at a time," he mused.

"You only have a few weeks,"

"Don't remind me," Tony groaned.

Tim and Ziva exchanged looks, wordlessly communicating with one another. "Tell you what Tony," Tim offered. "Why don't we go out for drinks some night, we can talk, you can ask your questions, Gibbs won't be around to be annoyed."

"Or issue head slaps," Ziva stated, grinning at Gibbs who was standing behind Tony's desk, unseen by the other two.

"Just you and me or all three of us?" Tony finally asked.

"Your choice," Ziva promised.

"But not tonight," Tim injected, "We have plans."

Tony smirked at them, "Take out again?"

Tim frowned as he wondered why there seemed to be a hidden meaning in that question. "No, Jimmy and his girlfriend invited us to dinner if we weren't working late."

"Okay, that's probably for the best anyway," Tony agreed as he pulled out a sheet of paper out of his desk and started scribbling, not saying another word.

Tim and Ziva exchanged looks, "What are you doing?" Ziva finally asked.

"Making a list of all the questions I had, the things I want to know, and comments I've been dying to make."

Tim snorted.

"Hey, I thought you at least would appreciate that. I'm trying to be prepared."

* * *

The change in the atmosphere of the bullpen was much more relaxed after the three agents had talked. But it wasn't until Wednesday that they finally got an opportunity to get together after work. Instead of drinks, they decided to grab some dinner together. Tony had been hesitant, knowing the couple had their Wednesday night routine, but both assured him that it was fine. Though, they did decide to forego their usual restaurant and try a new place more centrally located for all of them.

"Okay, Tony, go," Tim ordered after they had placed their orders.

Tony nodded as he gathered his thoughts and took out his notes.

"You actually did write out questions?" Tim asked, slightly amused.

"Hey, I have two months worth of questions," he defended, "And since I'm limited on time, I don't want to forget anything."

Ziva snickered, "You have a curfew?"

Rolling his eyes, Tony reminded her, "Not in the way you mean, but after next week my suspension goes into effect and then I'm off sailing the seven seas."

"Oh."

"Hey, you still get me for another week, no reason to be so sad," Tony said, hoping to dispel the strange mood that now resided at the table. "I'll be back."

Tim shook his head, "Not your best Schwarzenegger impression," he commented.

Throwing his hands up in the air and looking at the ceiling, Tony whines, " _Now_ he gets movie references."

"Hey!" An indignant McGee retorts, " _I_ placed what song and movie Ziva was singing first…And not just because I was with her when she saw it," he added at Tony's look.

"Speaking of that…Really, out of all the movies to watch, you chose the Karate Kid Trilogy?"

"That's one of your questions?" Tim asked incredulously. Turning to Ziva, he said, "We should've made this into 20 questions and limited him."

"Too late now," Tony smirked, "Now answer the question."

Sighing, Tim did so. "Ziva found it interesting," Tim stated before explaining why the trilogy was chosen.

"Okay, so you _might've_ placed the song first," Tony admitted to a smirking Tim after he heard the story.

"Was that question really on the list?" Ziva curiously asked, peering around Tony and looking at the paper in front of him.

"Hey! That's private," he responded, trying to cover the list with his hands.

Ziva and Tim gave him matching looks, "It's about us," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, still private."

"Sorry," Tim apologized rolling his eyes and pulling Ziva back into him and away from Tony's notes.

Ziva just stared at Tony.

"What?" he finally asked, unable to take it anymore.

"The first thing on the list is how long has this been going on?" she asked incredulously.

Tony shrugged, "Hey, I'm curious," he reminded them. "The next question is when did Gibbs find out."

Tim exchanged looks with Ziva. "It probably started the moment we first met," Ziva began. "I really enjoyed the friendship we had when I first joined the team. When Tim's car was in the shop and we carpooled, I realized how much I missed that friendship, how glad I was that we were getting close again. We talked, Tim felt the same way I did," she stated truthfully, leaving out that one of the things they talked about was how annoying Tony could be during February, March, and April.

"That day I asked to talk to Gibbs in Conference room 3," Tim began, answering the second half of Tony's question, "We talked to him about our plans to see each other more often outside of work."

"By not using the word dating, did you think that meant you weren't breaking rule 12?" Tony snorted. "Wait," he said, holding up a hand and glaring at Ziva. "You knew? These last two months you _knew_?"

She looked at him in surprise, "That we were dating? Of course I knew."

"Not that," he snapped, "What the conference was about!"

"Oh. Yes, I was there," she admitted.

Tony groaned. "Of course, you also knew _all_ about Peggy and never said a word," he muttered.

Ziva just smirked, not bothering to comment while Tim gave a chuckle.

Shaking his head, Tony asked another question that he really wanted the answer to, "And you guys were really together on Valentine's Day?"

Tim gave him a look like that was a stupid question before taking out his phone. A few minutes later Tony's phone alerted him that he had an incoming message.

"No response?" the SFA asked ignoring his phone.

"I responded," Tim replied, waving his phone.

"Not talking to me?" Tony asked as he unlocked his phone. "How juvenile."

"You would know," Tim snorted. "And I think a picture is worth a thousand words."

"I…yeah," Tony agreed looking at the pictures Tim had sent him of the couple from that night. "Leave it to a writer to send a couple of thousand words," he joked, referring to the number of pictures he received. Some of them had Tim and Ziva in the kitchen as they prepared their food, some with the chef, some as they ate. A couple of the pictures were staged, obvious shots when they knew the camera was on them, others were candid, real. "You guys look good together," he finally said, "Happy."

"Thank you," Ziva replied, leaning into Tim who automatically kissed the top of her head.

"So," Tony continued, staring at Tim, "You're guy in tights."

"No."

"Yes,"

Tony looked between the two of them. "Well, glad we got that cleared up," he snickered.

"I have never worn tights," Tim clarified.

"Do not be so literal," Ziva admonished. "It is Tony, you know what he meant."

Rolling his eyes, Tim admitted, "Yes, I am the one who _took_ her to the ballet, again, I didn't dance in it. Was the one who sent her the flowers for Valentine's Day, took care of her when she was sick,"

"So that's how you knew how many types of flowers were in the arrangement," Tony muttered. "I just thought you were more observant than I was."

"Couldn't it be both?"

"Ha!" Tony joked, "You got the girl, you can't expect to be a better investigator than me as well."

Tim bit his tongue to keep from pointing out that the 'better' investigator hadn't figured them out. "Yeah, well, I would rather have this girl."

Ziva rewarded him with a kiss, causing Tony to snicker.

"So, Probie, why did it take you so long to kiss her?"

Tim hesitated, not sure if he wanted to answer that one.

"Well?" Tony asked, Ziva looking curious about the answer as well.

"That's personal," Tim finally said, looking Tony in the eyes.

Tony's mouth opened and closed before he nodded. "So I guess asking about your other activities is also out?"

"Tony!" The couple shouted at him.

"That's what I thought," he smirked, though he did have a look of relief on his face.

"You two seriously went to an amusement park for the weekend? When Tim's terrified of heights and gets sick at the drop of a hat?"

"Yes."

"No," Tim replied the same time as Ziva, causing Tony to snicker at their differing response.

Tim sighed, "Yes, we went to an amusement park. I am not _terrified_ of heights and thrill rides usually don't bother me."

Ziva frowned, "There also was not any hats dropping."

Tony shook his head as he decided to ignore Ziva's comment. Let her boy toy explain it, he thought with a snicker. "But why? Seriously, Probie, why not a beach? Preferable one where clothing is optional?"

"I requested it," Ziva reminded Tony.

"Next trip will be to a beach," Tim stated.

"Boston first," Ziva corrected, Tim inclined his head in agreement.

"Why Boston?" Tony asked.

"These trips were a way for us to get to know one another better outside of work, from our regular routine. We figured someplace that meant something to us or something we've always wanted to do."

Tony nodded, "You lived in Boston for a bit, didn't you?" He continued after Tim nodded. "So, the beach…you've always wanted to go and never have?"

"Not with Ziva," Tim smiled.

"Ah," Tony raised his glass in a salute.

"So how were you able to afford all of it?" Tony asked. "Ballet tickets, private cooking instructions, weekend getaways. I understand wanting to impress, but if you keep this up you're going to need a second job," he joked.

Tim smiled, "I already have a second job."

"What?" Tony asked in surprise. "Then how the hell do you have time to do all of that?"

"Writing," Tim reminded him. "Gemcity paid for most of that. He was also the one with the connections to make it happen," he admitted.

"That make senses," Tony nodded in understanding. "So, we going to see Lisa and Agent MacGregor hook up in the next book?"

"The books aren't based on the team," Tim gave his usual response.

Tony and Ziva both looked at him in doubt.

"Not everything is us," Tim defended.

"You keep telling yourself that, Probie," Tony laughed before he continued to work his way down his list.

"Okay," Tony asked as they walked across the parking lot to their cars. "Is this serious? I think I can handle you two being in love, but if it's not, if it's just lust...well, that doesn't work. You two breaking up could mean the team breaking up," Tony stated. "I don't want to come back in two months and find strangers at one or both of your desks because of a bad break up."

Tim and Ziva both stopped looking at each other before looking at Tony.

Yeah, it's serious, Tony realized, no longer needing a verbal answer to his question since it was written in their eyes and all over their faces.

"It is serious," Ziva replied. "We are better, stronger together. We bring out the best in each other. We are able to truly be ourselves with each other, whether serious, or silly and everything in between. I can be vulnerable with him, knowing that he will understand, or at least will not judge me. I love that he treats me like a princess, but not a damsel in distress. That fact that he is there for me, to support me, love me, means more than I could say, more than I ever thought possible. He makes me believe in forever, that Happily Ever After is possible for me, for us. I cannot imagine anyone else by my side," she concluded, Tim standing silently beside her, his arm around her.

Tony was momentarily speechless, surprised that it was Ziva who had answered his question for him. Of course, because it was Ziva, made the answer more powerful.

* * *

Tim and Ziva had been afraid that their time with Tony would make things worse. In some ways it felt a lot like an inquisition, Tony firing one question after another at them. He even seemed to ask a couple of different versions of the same question, no doubt trying to trip them up.

Luckily, their fears were unfounded and things seemed even better on Thursday. Even Gibbs had been seen smiling as he headed out for coffee..

"Wait," Tony called, drawing curious looks since no one had said or done anything. Tim and Ziva had finally told him about the two white and black spotted dogs Gibbs had adopted. " _Tim_ said you drove like Cruella De Vil?" he asked, just now remembering that information.

"Yes,' Tim admitted.

"No," Ziva replied at the same time.

"You two are like an old married couple," Tony commented, his gaze drifting between them. "Well, which is it?"

"It's none of your business, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he reentered the bullpen.

"Right, thank you boss," Tony said, as he nodded and got back to work.

"It's okay," Tim informed Gibbs. Tony had done well respecting the boundaries and lines as they reestablished their friendship. So far, once Tim or Ziva had refused to talk about a subject, he hadn't brought it up again, nor had he ridiculed them for not wanting to discuss it. Because of that, Tim didn't mind answering the occasional question, as long as it didn't interfere with their work.

"He said I drove like Cruella DeVil escaping hell," Ziva answered.

Tony opened his mouth to ask _why_ he would say that before reminding himself that it's none of his business.

"That sentence ended with 'with me in the back'," he reminded his girlfriend as well as informing Tony of the context of his words. "At the time, we were talking about her reaction to Deep Six and how she treated me because of it. If you remember, I had an ice pack on my neck the rest of the day."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, I remember," he said softly. Just another example of how he failed his teammate. He had spent the drive relatively safe, buckled in the front with Ziva, encouraging her and teasing Tim about not stepping into the light.

Their conversation ended when Gibbs phone rang, informing them that they had a case.

* * *

"Things with Tony have gone really well," Ziva stated. It was the night before Tony's last day at the Yard before his suspension started and the two were laying in Tim's bed, wrapped around each other.

Tim nodded, knowing more information was coming, that she was leading up to something.

"I was thinking that before he leaves, maybe we should tell him the truth about how our relationship started."

"Um," Tim hesitated. "I don't know," he admitted. "The rules of suspension states that he's not to contact us during that time. What if he reacts badly? We wouldn't know about it till much later, after he's had time to stew about it."

Ziva nodded, "Yes, I can see that," she reluctantly agreed. "Hmm, then maybe after he returns from being afloat? We could take him out to dinner upon his return and tell him."

"We could," Tim agreed before frowning.

"What?"

"I'm thinking that we shouldn't tell him until after we have kids."

"Kids?" Ziva repeated.

"Uh, do you want kids?" Tim nervously asked. Even though they had often joked about marriage since the beginning, neither one had really mentioned the possibility of the two of them building a family together, excepting the fact that none of them would be named after work.

"Yes," she admitted. "You?"

"Yes," he replied, staring into her eyes. "A beautiful little girl with her mother's smile."

"Her father's eyes," Ziva added. "And his brains."

"A son with his mother's athleticism," Tim shared, "Her knack for languages, and her dark hair."

"His father's sense of chivalry, and grasp of technology," Ziva added. "The hair color is fine, but I hope he doesn't have the curls."

"Curls or not, he'll be the luckiest little boy ever to have you as his mother."

"And she'll be the luckiest little girl to have you as a father."

Time passed as the two looked into each other's eyes as they imagined what the future might hold.

It took the slamming of a neighbor's door to knock them out of their vision.

"Why should we wait until after we have a child?"

"Not just a child," Tim clarified, "But all the children we plan on having."

"Why?" a puzzled Ziva reiterated.

"Because can you imagine Tony's reaction when he finds out that we got together because of him? He'll hound us to name the kids after him."

* * *

By the time Tony's suspension began, the team seemed to be more cohesive than ever before, working together to solve the cases they had. They had even been able to get some new leads on a few cold cases.

Not everything was perfect, but it seemed like a promising start for a new beginning.

In between cases, their time was filled with the three of them carrying out their assignments from Vance. Ziva shared that she actually enjoyed parts of her classes an ha learned more than she thought she would. Now she really understood how much of a difference teamwork could make. Gibbs didn't have much to say about his seminars, but Tim knew a lot about them since the Director had him attend a different session regarding leadership.

Before they knew Tony headed out to sea and a week later Abby returned. To the surprise of no one, she remained the same Abby as before, even after attending the seminars and counseling sessions Vance had required. It seemed like everyday she was involved in an argument, whether it be with the other scientists, her supervisor, HR, the director, or members of the MCRT.

Despite the changes Vance had implemented she still attempted to manipulate things and people so she was the one working with Gibbs and his team. She was determined that he would once again treat her as the favorite child and the only way she knew to accomplish that was to solve their cases for them.

Seeing Tim and Ziva everyday, made it harder for Abby to deny their relationship. However, she still felt confident that it wouldn't last. Either Tim would mess up, Ziva would realize she could do better, or, Abby's favorite scenario, Gibbs finally put an end to that nonsense by invoking Rule 12. When the two started talking about moving in together, Abby would just mumble that Gibbs wouldn't allow that to happen. The fact that Gibbs not only allowed it, but encouraged it by giving them extra time off to pack and volunteered to help them move finally made her realize that NCIS was never going to be the same, at least not for her. Gibbs no longer trusted her, no longer took her words as gospel truth, no longer gave in to her every whim.

Abby quit right after Tim and Ziva filed changes of address forms with HR. Tim's professional side was sad to see her go, she was an exemplary forensic scientist. Personally, however, he was relieved.

* * *

 **October 10, Saturday of Columbus Day weekend**

Even though the team was off the weekend, two of its members were in the bullpen. Vance had requested volunteers, and surprisingly, Tony had been eager to do so. Tim and Ziva stated that they already had plans and would not be able to do so.

While Gibbs hadn't volunteered, he did come in, mostly to keep an eye on his SFA. Part of him was curious about why Tony was so eager to work on a weekend when he didn't have to, especially a holiday weekend, but figured he was trying to earn some bonus points after everything that had happened last spring.

As Gibbs returned to the bullpen late that afternoon, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand, he caught something in the corner of his eye on the catwalk. Frowning, he watched as Tony entered MTAC. Wasting no time, Gibbs hurried up the stairs to see what was going on.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs growled as seeing Tim and Ziva on the screen, seemingly unaware of their audience. Stalking over to Tony he moved to block screen and at the same time drag Tony out of room.

"Boss," Tony protests, "It's not what you think."

"Really? 'Cause it looks like you're spying on Tim and Ziva's date."

"Well, yeah," he sheepishly admits, "it kinda is that."

"Now I know why you were so eager to volunteer to come in today," he stated, his voice tinged with anger and disappointment. "I really thought you had changed," he muttered as he shakes his head, his voice sorrowful.

During Tony's time of suspension, he had been restricted from accessing the Navy Yard, unless specifically called in by the Director. That had also included contacting members of the MCRT or any of his coworkers. This had provided Tony with ample opportunity to think about everything that had happened as well as prepare for his next assignment as Agent Afloat.

The time he had spent at sea was another eye opener for him. It was challenging enough the first time, but being aboard a ship for only a week or two at a time, with no continuity, had Tony feeling the loneliness. It had made him realize how lucky he had been. He was grateful that Tim and Ziva had taken steps to repair their friendship since without it, he probably would've left NCIS, unsure if he could still be happy there. While he recognizes that no job or coworkers were perfect, he could honestly say that he worked with some great people. People that he was proud to call friends. No, strike that, he thought, family.

In many ways, he had seemed like a different man when he returned to the bullpen. As he vowed that first day of April, he made sure that Abby wasn't able to use or manipulate McGee any more. Despite the years he had spent working with her, he was glad that she had gone. Life at NCIS had been much better without all of her drama.

"I have!" He promised, as he looked past his boss trying to view the screen. "This is done with permission." Tony added.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow in doubt.

"Seriously," Tony adds, "Tim knows. In fact, he set it up."

Gibbs paused as he looked around. That could very well be true, how would Tony get the cameras into position, not to mention the microphones. There was also the matter of using MTAC.

"Am I late?" Vance asks as he hurriedly entered the room.

"No," Tony answers, "He's just beginning."

"Late for what?"

"Shhh," Tony automatically replies to Gibbs before giving him a sheepish look and pointing to the screen.

What the... "It's to early for a Halloween party," Gibbs muttered. Continuing when neither of his companions commented on the image on the screen. "Seriously Tim dresses up like that and _knows_ that you are watching?"

Tony hesitated, something Gibbs immediately picked up on.

"DiNozzo," the older man growled, knowing that there was something he wasn't being told.

"He knows I'm watching," Tony answered, "He just doesn't know that I'm recording it."

"Why?" Gibbs asked before being shushed again, this time by both Tony and Vance as Tim began to speak. Gibbs jaw dropped as he stared at the screen in shock.

* * *

"Shall we return home or to the bullpen?" Tim asked looking at Ziva and kissing the ring he recently placed on her finger. The two had spent the day at a local renaissance fair.

"Why work?" she asked, curiously about that option. Her mind had immediately flown to going home to their shared apartment to celebrate their engagement in private.

"Tony's working," he reminded his fiancée. "And no doubt Gibbs is there as well," he added, knowing exactly where his two teammates were.

"Right," Ziva agreed, looking at the ring before meeting Tim's gaze. "Let's go tell our family," she stated, grinning as she grabbed his hand and headed towards the car. "Can I drive?" she asked.

Tim shook his head as he dug the keys out of his pocket, "Should've made that a condition of saying yes," he teased, making sure to keep the Porsche keys out of her reach.

Their arrival at NCIS was met with hoots and hollers…And that was just Tony's reaction. Once informed about what had happened, they received congratulations and well wishes from everyone in the building.

Vance and Gibbs were as pleased as Tony, though slightly less vocal expressing it.

It didn't take long for Gibbs to get Tim alone. Gibbs's eyes met Tim's. "Why didn't you tell me?" he softly asked. The relationship between the two was much different than it had been a year ago. The team had really begun to feel like family and in some ways, the older man felt closer to Tim than his other agents. If Gibbs was being honest, he was hurt that he hadn't known what was happening, especially since Tony and Vance apparently had.

"Rules 4 and 18," Tim solemnly replied. "Didn't want everyone to know and give it away to her and figured your forgiveness would be easier to get than your permission."

Gibbs stared at him a moment before nodding, "For the record, you have both," he informed his agent before turning away.

"I was nervous enough doing it," Tim admitted, his voice stopping Gibbs from leaving. "Even if I was pretty sure she was going to say yes. Talking to you about it before hand…" he trailed off.

"But you weren't too nervous to tell DiNozzo?" Gibbs curiously asked.

Tim shrugged, "I never told him, I just dropped some rather large hints," he smirked. "Part of that was to see what he did with that information," he admitted. "If he pressed for more information, blabbed to Ziva or anyone in the building, searched my desk or computer, I would have known where we stood," he explained. "I needed proof that he had changed, if I could trust him. He passed. I'm actually surprised that he hadn't mentioned anything to you," Tim added. "I also suggested that he be in MTAC at a certain time."

Gibbs smirked, "You know he recorded all of that, right?"

Tim smiled triumphantly, "That was the plan. I was hoping he would. I would like a copy to show our family and Ziva years from now."

Gibbs nodded, "Vance knew," Gibbs stated calmly.

Tim nodded, meeting the older man's gaze. "It's his building, his agency. I needed his permission to set things up. Plus," he added, smirking at his boss, "He had orders to get you to the yard and in there to see it if you didn't show up on your own following Tony," Tim admitted.

Gibbs turned his head at hearing that, glad that Tim didn't completely leave him out of everything. "And the location and outfits?" he asked.

Tim grinned, "She's my lady, I'm her knightly Lord," he replied.

Gibbs raised and eyebrow, "I don't think I want to know," he smirked, causing Tim to laugh as he followed the older man back into the bullpen.

* * *

The End.  
7-10-19

* * *

Kinda interesting that the epilogue is my largest chapter...hopefully I managed to tie up any loose strings or answer any questions you might have had.

Some of it you might not have needed to know, but it was stuff that I had planned and wanted to include (Gibbs and the dogs). The last few scenes, the engagement, were written a long time ago, it was all a matter of working to that conclusion. I'm a big fan of HEA (Happily ever afters)

Wow! It's been quite the journey. Thank you to everyone who stayed with me and the story. A special thank you to everyone who reviewed. I love hearing what you guys are thinking and feeling. I hope it was worth the wait and that you guys enjoyed it. I never expected it to be this large or for it to take so long posting (Of course, so much had happened, especially the lst six months).

Now it's only a matter of deciding what to post next...any suggestions?


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